


But You Can Save Me From Madness

by missanomalous



Series: So Save Me (I'm Waiting) [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-09
Updated: 2013-05-31
Packaged: 2017-12-07 23:35:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 49,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/754419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missanomalous/pseuds/missanomalous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby needs an escape and Regina’s house has been empty for a long time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thegirl20](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirl20/gifts).



It’s hard to believe when it’s actually over. To Ruby it seems impossible that there’s finally peace. Half the town had returned home, leaving the rest of the citizens with plenty of room to grow, to even take in the occasional outsider, hiding their many secrets until the time was right. If it ever went bad, they had plenty of ways to wipe the memories of those who couldn’t believe in the possibility of these creatures existing. Regina always arrives promptly, a small vial that seemed to contain a swirling mist of bright blue and white smoke that would be tipped down the unconscious person’s throat.

 

Ruby sometimes wonders why Regina is so yielding to the people she knew would never fully trust or forgive her. She knows the obvious answer, that her son’s acceptance is more important than giving into the people who murdered her mother, who tore away her lover after giving her the hope of his survival, who only give her child back for short bursts of time. But she does whatever they ask of her, what anyone asks of her: those less discerning, who enjoy their new life or hated their previous one, who didn’t mind serving Regina whether as queen or mayor, would seek out her help. From couples who were having trouble conceiving to those who needed help sorting out their new extended family trees.

 

The former queen is always greeted with cold politeness from nearly everyone else who happened to meet her in the streets. While they couldn’t deny their resentment of having their lives torn away, they had still chosen to stay in this new life, and knew that they owed that to Regina for not only bringing them here but also for helping them stay. She had saved the day in the end, with the help of Emma The Saviour, of course. Ruby is occasionally at the meetings between The Charming brood and Regina, who Henry had forgiven so fully that they found themselves bound to her no matter what they felt personally. It was always awkward and tense, but Henry never seemed to mind. She feels bad for the kid, knowing he feels the hostility and is doing his best to not let it affect him.

 

It's thoughts like these that have Ruby walking the streets at night, pulling her to the great manor that Regina lived in alone. Sometimes it was consciously, sometimes it was as the wolf, and sometimes she didn’t know why she would ever think to walk this way. Tonight she is the wolf, the full moon having chilled her spine so much that she felt she had no choice but to turn and rip through the forest nearby, occasionally ravaging a raccoon or rabbit as she tore through the thick brush near the river. As the night wears on she finds herself back on the streets, panting as she trots through the myriad of smells from the houses she passes. Sweat when she went by Mary Margaret and David’s – gross. Popcorn when she makes her way beyond the loft, with the added sound of an action movie and Emma and Henry’s accompanying commentary. Berries and pie crusts filter from _Granny’s_ as her grandmother uses the down time at the diner to restock the fridges and freezers.

 

When she eventually stops in front of Regina’s house, she’s actually tired. A few cautious steps up the path was all she would allow herself as her heightened senses had her smelling the deep red wine Regina has chosen before she's even popped the cork. Usually it was scotch, occasionally brandy, but wine seemed to be a special treat of sorts. The clink of the glasses was pure and high, ringing like bells, signaling real crystal. She wonders if it’s from the other land or if it was a special treat when she arrived here. One glass is steadily consumed as Ruby sits, breathing out puffs of hot air in the cool night breeze. Once in awhile she twists an ear when she picks up the sound of Pongo barking in the distance or a neighbour bringing out the trash, but her yellow eyes remain trained on the white door a yard away from her. A sigh and the sound of a second glass being poured is distinctly made out, but she doesn’t hear the wine being sipped. Instead Regina’s walking, the nail of her thumb clicking against the lever on the door as she opens it.

 

She stands there for a minute, fully dressed save for the matching blazer she usually wears with that skirt. The crimson lipstick she wears matches the sweet wine she holds in her left hand. Regina takes one drink before speaking. “You can come in, you know.”

 

She turns before Ruby can quirk her head to the side, leaving the wolf to stare into the opened doorway. Ruby hesitates before taking a step, willing herself to change back to a bipedal being again before she reaches the door, something that is usually easier to do. But she’s stepping through the threshold in sleek boots, her hands buried in the pockets of her hoodie. Regina stands in the kitchen, pouring wine into a second glass.

 

Ruby adjusts her hood before she closes the door and steps into the small mansion – as if trying to be incognito _inside_ the house made any sense at all. But it made her feel more protected in this new abode. She doesn’t hesitate in taking the glass meant for her, licking her lips at the sweet, dry flavour. Ruby neither avoids Regina’s gaze nor seeks it out. It’s as if this isn’t their first real meeting in thirty years. Like there’s an understanding that’s never been spoken between them.

 

“You’re alone.” It’s not really a question, or a statement for that matter. Just something that needs to be said – that Regina surely already knows the answer to. She had spared Ruby by not saying ‘lonely’, and Ruby knows it. That would have just been trivial. Being alone is so much worse. She nods and tries not to drop her gaze. “Well, I have a spare room. Or two.”

 

She walks off then. Because it’s still early in the evening, considering, and she has potions to mix, cures and remedies for any ailment that could befall someone, distributed first to the schools and hospitals, then, as Regina’s stock grew, straight to the homes of people who need them. She seems to have a lot of time on her hands, and has devoted her entire basement to brewing potions for the town. Always dressed as if she is ready for a business conference with one’s boss. Once in awhile, Regina sought out Granny for her expertise on how to hide the concoctions, asking whether they should be slipped into a sweet milkshake or hidden amongst a strong broth. It seems there wasn’t a way for one to simply change the flavour of a potion.

 

Ruby takes it upon herself to press the cork back down the neck of the bottle, sparing what little remained for a later date, but she really doesn’t know what to do with herself after that. She doesn’t particularly want to see Regina’s little basement laboratory, the smells are intense and exotic and strange. Instead she wanders the great house, ending up in the small library. Many of the books were law related, presumably for Regina’s previous career, but there is a good amount of fiction novels that Ruby took an interest in. Belle is always going on about so many authors she now has the chance to read, and Red had always enjoyed hearing tales as a child. She settles on the first classic she encounters, Dickens or Brontë or Austen, she doesn’t really care. But she’s nine chapters in when Regina finally returns from the basement, lazing on the couch, the empty wine glass hanging daintily from her stretched out hand, her book held in the other.

 

“I’ll show you around upstairs.” A command. “You can bring the book.” With a flick of the wrist the glass in Ruby’s hand disappears. Ruby doubts she uses her magic for much more than doing away with the dishes these days. She straightens up and follows the older woman, the novel still in her hold. They climb the towering staircase and take a left. Before they reach their destination at the end of the hall they pass an empty doorway, clearly Henry’s long-untouched room. “The bathroom is the door to your left,” Regina comments without hesitation.

 

The door is opened for her and Ruby steps in. She hesitates as she reaches for the zipper of her hoodie, turning to Regina. She should say something. Ask something. About how Regina knew she would be there, how she knew without question what she needed. But Ruby knows better. Regina’s alone, too. The older woman nods brusquely before turning to leave. “Goodnight, Ruby.”

 

* * *

 

Ruby wakes up at the smell of bacon. How could she not? Why, though, Regina had to choose such an ungodly hour to make breakfast is beyond her. She had stayed up at least an hour or two longer than Ruby had the night before – a lengthy bath followed by paperwork done in her bed on the other side of the house is just what Ruby heard before she drifted off herself. She steps back into leggings and puts her bra back on before grabbing her dress from a crumpled heap on the floor.

 

She stops in front of one of the many mirrors in the hallway to smooth out her hair, wishing she had a ponytail to throw the matted mess up in. Regina’s pouring a rich smelling coffee into two mugs, a black silk robe thrown over what appears to be a white slip, barefoot on the cold tiles beneath her. She glances up upon Ruby’s arrival.

 

“Cream and sugar?”

 

“Please.”

 

Her first word comes unforced. Had she been taking the order, she would have known how Regina took it – heavy with cream and a dusting of sugar, just sweet enough to be manageable, but Ruby still prefers her own coffees to be made with heavy syrups, anything to sweeten the bitter necessity of the drink. They sit at the island, a chair between them as they help themselves to the small buffet Regina has laid out. They trade pages of The Daily Mirror between them – Sidney had revamped the paper, and the constant expansion of their small city was a source for daily news. Clever innuendos were always thrown into specific headlines meant to catch the attention of the magical population without alerting any outsider who happened to stop for a night on their way to the Canadian border in a quaint, but forgettable small town. Signals for meetings, for the introduction of new history topics in the schools to cover the other world, now a heavy subject with the admissions from Rumpelstiltskin and Regina on how the curse was brought to life. David deemed it worthy of retelling of their history and without hesitation the school had added a class for each grade level.

 

Ruby’s full and nursing the bottom half of her coffee before it becomes too lukewarm to bear, not particularly thinking about anything, looking off into the large windows. Nothing about this feels forced. If anything it feels domestic. Which is odd because Ruby has never been domestic. Red never really was either.

 

“What are you doing today?” she asks nonchalantly, returning her eyes to the paper in Regina’s hands rather than her face.

 

“Going riding. Even with the rain. Then I have a lunch with Henry.”

 

“Why do you get up so early?”

 

“Force of habit.” There’s a beat of silence and Regina picks up on the lack of any forthcoming questions to Ruby’s brain and beats her to it. “Do you work today?”

 

Ruby nods and squints at the clock. She could even go in early. Impress Granny with her initiative. She has to sneak in a shower at home though, or Granny will pick up on where she’s been – Ruby might take a quick jog through the forest just in case.

 

“I guess I’ll see you at lunch then,” Regina remarks offhandedly, slipping from the stool she was sitting on to take her plate and mug to the sink. She leaves the kitchen without warning, and by the time Ruby collects her jacket from the room she had slept in, Regina is walking out the door in what looks to be incredibly expensive riding clothes.

 

Ruby locks the door before she leaves, though she doubts anyone has the balls to break into Regina’s house lately. And surely the enchantress had put some sort of spell on her abode now that she has her powers. The brunette makes her jog quick but ensures that she travels through as much marsh and mud as she can before slipping into the hotel that was her house.

 

Granny is already in the diner, taking out things to defrost for the dinner rush, helping the cooks get ready with the prep work. Their only visitor in the inn was a businessman from Quebec City who was headed to Boston, and he doesn’t seem like the type who is going to stick around for more than a cup of coffee to go. Ruby showers and dresses, but allows herself a minute to deflate before she heads down to set up the signs. The previous night is heavy on her mind, and what she was supposed to do about it, she doesn’t know.

 

But if Regina is going to treat it lightly, she doesn’t see a reason to stir the pot. There was already more than enough drama in their small town than she can deal with as it is. And now she has a place to go where none of it matters, when it should really matter more. Ruby shakes her head and locks her door before heading down to the kitchen, pouring herself a second cup of coffee as Granny switches on the lights.

 

“How was your night?”

 

“Fine.”

 

“And those wolves up near the lake?”

 

“They still seem docile. The alpha’s the only one who ever comes into town and he never makes a fuss.” Graham’s wolf. Her heart feels heavy for a moment and she has to do away with it. “The town should really be paying me as some sort of conservation officer.”

 

Granny laughs as she heads to unlock the door and turn the sign. “Well, I’d tell you to talk to the mayor, but I think David’s in over his head as it is. Why he thought he could run a city in a bureaucratic society is beyond me.”

 

“You know him, he thinks if he’s not running the place then it’s all going to go to hell. They should really just give the job back to Regina.” It slips past her lips before she notices, but she tries to remain calm, knowing her grandmother is the master of picking up on things.

 

But Granny just sighs and stares off into the drizzly Maine morning. “She ran the town for twenty-eight years,” she comments in agreement. “But you know they can’t ever let her have what she wants. They’re not going to let the debt be repaid.”

 

Ruby blinks because it’s the first time that Granny’s ever really spoken out against anyone, save for Gold and Regina. She’s quick-tempered, but level-minded when it comes to people. Once the blood has all settled, anyway. Granny glances at her with a pinched look on her face.

 

“Well, what are you standing there for? Go put out the sign. Don’t bother with the chairs. It’s going to rain all week.”

 

* * *

 

Regina arrives five minutes before noon, freshly showered and sharply dressed, her hair only a little damp from the downpour outside. She takes a seat at the booth, undoing the top few buttons on her jacket and shaking her head lightly to do away with as much moisture as she can.

 

“Coffee?” Ruby asks from behind the counter, drawing a few gazes from a patron or two due to her neutral if not upbeat tone.

 

Regina nods and unwinds her scarf, unaware or uncaring. Probably the latter. “And a milkshake for Henry.”

 

Emma pulls up to the diner as Ruby plops the cherry on top of the whipped cream, walking Henry to the door like she’s in the Secret Service protecting the president. She’s actually one of the more pro-Regina members of the Charming clan, but they seem to put her on edge enough that she still feels the need to escort her son to meet his mother.

 

The blonde whispers something to Henry before pushing him off in Regina’s direction. Regina smiles warmly at her son as he approaches, Ruby’s presence seeming to go on ignored as she approaches.

 

“Coffee and a chocolate milkshake.”

 

“Thanks, Ruby,” Henry responds immediately as he slides into the booth, snatching the cherry off the top of his beverage.

 

“Can I get you guys anything else?”

 

“I think we’re fine for now, thank you, Ruby.” Regina’s reply is politely dismissive and Ruby takes it as a cue and attends to the other customers, stopping by only to eventually take their order. Regina looks like an entirely different person when she’s with Henry, so bright and loving and maternal. It was never hard for Ruby to adjust to that after watching her raise the boy, but when the memories came back some people had chosen to ignore Regina’s tie to him rather than acknowledge that she had done something well.

 

Emma arrives on time, but when no deference is paid to her from the corner booth, she chooses to sit at the bar, already reaching for the sugar when Ruby appears in front of her.

 

“Just the coffee,” she says briskly, ignoring the buzzing phone in her pocket.

 

“Work?” Ruby asks as she settles a cup on a saucer in front of the blonde.

 

“David,” Emma sighs as she pours her sugar in along with the coffee, reaching for a spoon.

 

“In need of help or checking in on your next of kin there?” She nods towards the booth, where Henry and Regina are having an animated discussion about the unicorns in the other world.

 

“Both, probably. He has to find out how to file things to the zoning board commission. Apparently the mayor can’t just say ‘build this’ and have it done, much to his surprise.” She takes a long drink from her cup and sighs. “It sparks long discussions among the family. I guess you had a long night, too.”

 

“What?” _You’re a werewolf._ “Oh. I turned in earlier than usual. I’ll probably be out late tonight.”

 

“Will you check on that wolf den while you’re out? I’m no sure about them settling so close to town.” She’s about to take another sip when Henry slips on to the stool next to her. “Hey, kid.”

 

“Hey.”

 

Behind them Regina slips out unnoticed by the other patrons in the restaurant.

 

* * *

 

Ruby chews on her lip as she settles on her bed, her feet sore from spending all day walking back and forth from the kitchen counter. Granny is out shopping for things they were low on, things that couldn’t wait for the deliveries that were set to come. A graduate from the first class Storybrooke’s high school has ever seen is running the store, a smart girl who picks up on things quickly. Ruby can never remember her name, Sarah or Shannon or something. But she is giving Ruby the time she needs to make her decision.

 

If Granny had been around she would have heard the hurried packing. Ruby grabs just what she needs, folding things carefully and settling them in a duffel bag. Her cloak is the first thing, followed by clothes and any small necessities she finds. Jackets and shoes, then any hats she could fit last. She's thankful she no longer needs the thirty pounds of makeup old Ruby would have wanted to haul with her.

 

Ruby doesn’t go to Regina’s straightaway. Instead she drives the outer roads of Storybrooke until the sun starts to set. Then she parks her Camaro a block away from the house, leaving her bag in the car and running into the woods and changing from two legs to four. She meets the other wolves, runs and hunts with the canines. Ruby stays with them until the sky starts to lighten outside and finds herself back to her natural form by the time she’s stepping out of the forest, walking the lone highway road back to the town that is just starting to wake up.

 

She grabs her bag from the backseat and looks at the great white house down the street, second-guessing herself as she walks slowly down the pavement. Ruby stops in front of Regina’s house, the cool morning air chilling her. The older woman’s already up, in the kitchen. Earlier than she had been yesterday and Ruby wonders why.

 

The door gives way when she walks through it and when she walks into the kitchen she immediately earns Regina’s attention.

 

“Planning on staying long?”

 

Ruby feels the weight of the bag slung over her shoulder, how much pressure it carries outside of her belongings. “I don’t know, really.”

 

Regina raises an eyebrow. “Well, I just want to know what to tell the neighbours. Because they will ask, you know.”

 

“I know.” Ruby lets the bag slip to the floor as she approaches the island, leaning against it for support. She is so tired. “I slept for the first time in a long time the other night. Really slept. When I was here,” she clarifies despite the lack of need for it. “And I just… I need to get away from this town.”

 

“You’re free to leave.”

 

She is. She could drive across the border and never look back, go straight to Boston and catch a flight somewhere across the Atlantic. “I can’t. I don’t want to, really.”

 

“Then why the need to escape?” It’s a simple question, but everything Regina says always seems loaded with so much meaning.

 

“These people,” Ruby eventually sighs, “I’ve known them for two lifetimes and they just can’t let things be good. They always need to fight against something.”

 

“Some say the same about me.”

 

“It’s different. You know what you’re fighting for.”

 

“Well, you can stay as long as you wish, Ruby,” Regina replies as she reaches for her cup. “But the rumour mill will start running. No matter how far away you park your car.”

 

Ruby almost takes it for what it is, almost grabs her bag and heads up to the bed she had slept in the night before. But Regina’s complacency stops her. “Why?”

 

“Because they’re simple-minded idiots who need a distraction from their own lives.”

 

She almost laughs. “No,” Ruby settles with a smile, “Why are you letting me stay?”

 

Regina looks at her for a long time, eyes squinting when she brings her cup to her mouth and then settles it on the counter again. “I’ll take allies in any way they come to me, Ruby.”

 

They are allies now. Ruby would prefer to think of herself as Switzerland or a third party voter, but she was in Regina’s corner now, figuratively and literally with the placement of her bedroom. But she had been turned to Regina’s side long before she stepped through the door. She knows what Regina gave her, and after a large amount of time spent with Henry, she has heard more than enough from someone who is bipartisan in the cold war between good and evil in Storybrooke.

 

She sleeps until the afternoon, stretched across the bed like a skydiver. The curtains have turned her room into a cave and she allows herself several moments to adjust before braving herself to open them. The day is bright and overcast, rain threatening to drop any moment. Ruby can feel it. She peeks outside the room, but it’s not necessary. She can hear Regina, but she’s down in the kitchen preparing dinner. She wonders if Henry is expected and immediately dismisses the thought because of the questions it will bring for her to sort through.

 

Ruby showers for a long time in the guest bathroom, wrapping herself in one of the towels laid out for her. The bathroom is designed like the rest of the house, modern but classic. Dark wood grains contrasting with sharp, clean lines of marble. It’s open and cold if you don’t appreciate the feeling of the elements brought into a home. There’s a warmth there if you want to see it though, the comforting mahogany in a snowstorm of white, black veins reaching around it like vines, fighting against the bright walls and toning them down just enough. Keeping the storm at bay.

 

She can see it, this house that is perfectly designed to suit Regina – can see how Regina’s personality comes out in every way. Somewhere, deep in her mind, she remembers – old Ruby remembers something. A glimpse of Regina before Emma came. Eleven years before. She remembers the raven-haired woman coming into the diner, face flushed as she stoically shared the news of her impending adoption coming through. The break in the mayor’s private demeanor had warmed the crowd around her – Mary Margaret and Granny both sincerely congratulated her, Leroy ordered her a drink and Archie went on about the wonderful emotional changes a child could bring to someone, earning him a sharp glare, all while Graham sat off to the side, scratching the back of his head.

 

“That’s… the best news imaginable,” Ruby had said as Regina settled into a booth, the conversation having turned from her to everyone around her. She smiled and reached down, hugging Regina awkwardly in her sitting position. Regina had laughed in her ear and patted her shoulder. Ruby heard her throat tighten as she thanked the younger girl.

 

Ruby pulled back and laughed a little bashfully, tucking her straightened hair behind her ear. “I’m really happy for you, Regina. You deserve this.”

 

The mayor’s look had tightened, her smile not reaching her eyes.

 

It’s weird to remember things from Ruby’s life, even if it isn’t from the fake one she had never really lived. Twenty-eight years of Storybrooke hadn’t left her when the curse broke, her life before just joined the memories. They twist her emotions when they clash, are responsible for the post-curse Ruby who no longer feels such allegiance to her friends after living a life she enjoyed that they had barely been a part of.

 

When she returns to her designated space she sets herself up in front of one of the many mirrors placed around the room. The mirror thing, she has to ask about that. She wonders if it’s to make the rooms feel bigger or less empty. Or if it’s just a weird fetish thing. Either way, she finds it convenient for the self-conscious. She isn’t on her guard with Regina, but she feels socially awkward – aware of everything she does with her body, every nervous tic, every nuance of her voice.

 

Ruby passes the time until her hair dries, putting her few possessions in place so she can hide the mess in the well-kept room. She stretches out before she changes, something that feels so relaxing after a night of constant running and a good day’s rest. Granny will be wondering where she is, but she’s made herself become less aware of Ruby’s presence during every full moon. It’s mostly come about because of how tense and agitated Ruby can get with the customers when she hasn’t had a good night, especially as the day wears on.

 

She finally leaves the comfort of her room to the bright hallway once again, dressed in tight jeans and a flowing shirt as she descends down the large staircase. She walks in to see Regina returning a pot roast to the oven, an apron draped over her tailored clothes.

 

“You really lucked out with that wardrobe of yours,” Ruby comments as she walks in into the kitchen.

 

Regina smiles and tosses down the potholders so she can reach behind her to undo the knot on the apron. “You’ve found a way to make yours work.”

 

Ruby laughs and resumes her position from earlier that day, leaning against the island. “You were kind of cruel to Mary Margaret. Those cardigans?”

 

“One of my lesser offenses, still just as cruel. But honestly, I didn’t pick much. The curse did most of the choosing. And yes, that includes the styling.”

 

“I’ve been wondering for a long time if you just liked to watch me in hot pants or what that whole thing was about.” It’s easier than she thought, talking to Regina. Ruby had always been charming and Regina has her way with people. She’s laughing easily now, smiling and congenial. Snow had told Red a few times that the Queen could be like that, but Red couldn’t believe it with all she had heard. Ruby gets it now.

 

“I was as surprised as you.”

 

“Whatever you're cooking smells delicious. Granny would be jealous, I’m sure.”

 

“Your grandmother has had just about as much time as I have to play with recipes. There’s a reason I still come to the diner, despite the chilly greeting.” Regina’s been cleaning up as she went along, leaving Ruby with nothing to offer her help with. “I’ve always wanted her meatloaf recipe. Never felt like the right time to ask. My bet would be that would have been a few years ago. It’s a roast, as I’m sure you picked up on. I figured you must get hungry after your ordeal.”

 

“I do. For some reason filling up as the wolf doesn’t always transition. Or I get just as hungry all on my own. The running makes up for the extra calories.” Ruby taps her nails on the counter. “Is Henry coming for dinner tonight?”

 

Regina gives a humourless laugh and folds the apron neatly, setting it near the sink. “No. They wouldn’t allow me such a treat as seeing him two days in a row.”

 

“If it makes you feel any better, I think Mary Margaret has officially started campaigning for him to see you more. And you know Emma’s more… lenient than she used to be.”

 

“Well, time together will do that to people. The dinner’s just for you and I. I feel we should get to know each other if you’re going to be staying.”

 

Ruby doesn’t get in the way, doesn’t say much until she’s seated kitty-corner from Regina at her table. The roast is delicious, but she takes her time eating, worried she’ll need a distraction at any given point.

 

“So,” Regina begins, opting for the glass of water next to her instead of her wine.

 

“So,” Ruby replies immediately as she carefully cuts the generous portion of meat on her plate into smaller bites.

 

“My home is really the only place you feel you can escape to?”

 

“And you’re more than welcoming of anyone who just walks through your door?”

 

Regina smiles and stabs a piece of potato with her fork. “I asked you first.”

 

“Fair enough. I feel…” What did she feel? “I feel like I get where you’re coming from and no one will understand it.”

 

“I don’t, so I can’t imagine how those simpletons will.”

 

“I just… I was more than happy for an escape from my life. A lot of people were, even if they won’t admit it. I think you underestimated how evil this curse was. So many of us could have ended up a lot worse than we are. I don’t know why anyone went back.” Ruby reaches for her own drink, only wine next to her left hand. “They’re trying to recapture something they aren’t anymore.”

 

“Well, I guess I should be sad that my curse wasn’t everything I hoped it would be.”

 

Ruby smiles, cheeks flushing from the wine. “Your turn.”

 

“I miss having someone in the house,” Regina replies simply.

 

“So Mary Margaret could have come in and you’d let her bunk with you?”

 

“I’d probably ask for some rental references and a damage deposit up front.” Her smile grows but Ruby doesn’t reply. Eventually Regina continues, “You didn’t say anything. Didn’t accuse or question. I liked that enough to realize you wouldn’t be a nuisance.” Regina pauses and flexes her right hand. “You’ve always shown a kindness to me. I appreciate that.”

 

“Well, I wasn’t as wounded as some people. So I don’t know if it’s that big a consolation.”

 

“To me it is,” Regina states and they continue on with dinner quietly. “Tell me about new Ruby. Seems like you didn’t keep much of the old.”

 

“Well, if it makes your curse feel any better, I didn’t feel like Red when it broke. I’m just… Ruby now. I like reading more than Red or Ruby did. I feel more independent. I think that’s old Ruby. She – _I_ always felt like I was running on spot when I was her, though. I don’t feel like that anymore.” Ruby takes a long drink of her wine, settling back against the chair. “Tell me about Regina.”

 

“Regina,” the woman begins a little sardonically, “doesn’t do much with her time these days. Other than trying to help David find files at City Hall and going for walks in hopes that I bump into my son and his mother.”

 

“I can’t imagine,” Ruby retorts honestly.

 

“It’s the worst pain in your life, except it happens over and over again. That’s what it feels like every time I see him walking away with her.” Regina’s not looking at her anymore but out the window, her hand squeezing her fork tightly.

 

“I relive the worst moment of my life over and over again biweekly. It always springs up out of nowhere. The only time I never remember is when I’m the wolf.” She wonders how many people know what happened to her, what she did - if Snow told Charming or if Granny ever confessed it to someone. “I can’t imagine having a constant reminder.”

 

“It’s a bitch.” She smirks and lazily takes a sip from her own cup of wine. “No offense.”

 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with my night after this. I usually make an excuse to stay at the diner until closing.”

 

“No more late nights for Ruby?”

 

“Not anymore. Binge drinking no longer holds the appeal it once did, and it seems all of my closest friends are back in the honeymoon stages with their beaus.” Ruby realizes suddenly that half her dinner has been consumed, that the interrogation had been more than bearable. Out of nowhere a memory from Red’s life hits her. “I never thanked you. You know, for sparing my life.”

 

“I take it you never told Snow about that encounter?”

 

“No. I should have.” Ruby feels genuinely ashamed of herself for a moment. “She wouldn’t have understood... I sure didn't. But I should have told. You could have killed me. Done anything to me.”

 

“Yes, well, it seems to have been a good investment. More flies with honey and all that bullshit.” Regina’s eyes are on her again. Granny always told her that’s how you trust someone, through the eyes. “You may stay as long as you wish, Ruby, god knows I enjoy the company. But you’re going to have to come up with your own defence.” Regina rises with her plate and glass in hand, heading towards the kitchen. “As I’ll have to, I suppose.”

 

Ruby blinks as the realization hits her that she wouldn’t be the one receiving flak for this – well, she probably would receive tons of it, but Regina would get it a hundred times worse simply because of who she was. Regina doesn’t seem mad about it though, and Ruby is more than prepared to stand up to any questions. At least she thinks she is. She returns her dishes to the sink when she hears Regina’s heels clicking on the staircase to the basement, and doesn’t hesitate before striding out the front door, her steps speeding up until she was running full force into the forest, where her footsteps became paw prints in the soft, loamy soil.

 

If someone were to ask Ruby to describe what it feels like when she is the wolf, she’d have no answer to give. To her it’s indescribable, the feeling of being one with the forest. Hearing the far off sound of deer drinking from the river, to the feel of the world disappearing behind her as she wanders deeper and deeper into the maze of trees. She can smell a family of foxes a hundred feet away and make out the birds that stand like shadows on the branches.

 

It’s still dark when she returns to Regina’s residence and she’s still the wolf. She doesn’t feel like turning back, she doesn’t feel like going in, but Ruby does feel like she belongs here, on the front step. She lets out a small noise before she settles herself, walking around until she finds herself lying on the stone beneath her, head resting on her paws and eyes set toward the street, as if she is already waiting for the angry mob to come.


	2. Part Two

_The pain was more intense than she could imagine from a wound that is only superficial, but the arrow had obviously been tipped with something. The skin around the area was turning black and it seemed to be spreading. Red couldn’t do anything, could barely move with her leg hurting her so badly._

_It had been her own fault, really, for waking up in the middle of the Queen’s land. The last night of wolfstime always had her running further than she meant to, knowing it would be her last run for a month. She had woken up in the Enchanted Forest, the Dark Palace looming over her in the distance. Immediately she was running, only to head straight into a group of the Queen’s dark army heading back towards the palace. She had managed to escape from them, even though one had gotten in a lucky shot, lodging an arrow in her thigh._

_“I heard there was a pretty trespasser,” a voice came from behind her and Red did her best to stand to face it, leaning heavily against the tree at her side, “Oh, don’t get up, dear. I didn’t mean to intrude. Unlike yourself.”_

_She was dressed in an opulent navy gown, looking as if she always took strolls through the forest in such attire. Snow hadn’t done her beauty justice and it left Red feeling a little in awe. For some reason she expected the Evil Queen to look a little more… evil._

_“You’re Snow’s little wolf friend, aren’t you?” Red did her best to glare, but it quickly turned into a wince. “I should do away with you right now. Wouldn’t want to have you getting in my way later, would I?”_

_“Then just do it,” Red hissed._

_The Queen smirked in response and stepped closer to her, pinning her back against the tree with a wave of her hand when Red tried to lunge at her. The look of superiority grew as she moved in front of the younger girl, her free hand reaching down to yank up her dress. Red’s breath caught in her throat as she felt the Queen’s fingers dance along the bare skin of her leg._

_“Better tell Snow you looked a little less intrigued,” she whispered in Red’s ear as her hand brushed over the blackening wound, first sparking another wave of pain until it immediately vanished. The Queen stepped away from her and Red was released from her magical hold, falling to the ground at the base of the tree. She bundled up the skirt of her dress to look where the arrow had hit her to find the skin now smooth and free from any sort of blemish._

_“Thank you,” she breathed, looking up at the brown-eyed woman in wonder._

_“You have manners. That’s surprising. I never expect it when someone’s from a village.” Her back was turned to Red, fingers tracing the lines of the bark on a hundred year-old tree. “Now, what to do with you…”_

_“Why help me just to kill me?” Red asked, keeping her eyes trained on the woman in front of her. She was so small, how she held so much power was beyond Red._

_“That does seem a little silly, doesn’t it?” The Queen turned to her, her eyes bright in the sunshine. “Well, then you might as well run along.”_

_“Really?” Red couldn’t help the incredulous look on her face, which seemed to earn a smile from Snow’s former stepmother. “This isn’t a trick just to give you some sport to chase, is it?”_

_The Queen laughed seemingly genuinely in response, meeting Red’s eyes with a sincerity she had never expected. “My fight isn’t with you. And a pretty face like yours shouldn’t go to waste on something as trivial as some minor revenge against Snow. If I really wanted to get to her, it would be that little boyfriend of hers I’d go after.”_

_Red was quiet for a long time as she tried to decide whether or not to believe this story, breath stopping in the realization that the Queen was right – her death would only be a small hiccup in this war between her and Snow. Sure, it might spark some more anger from Snow, but it wouldn’t flatten her like it would if something happened to Charming. Charming who she just met and barely knew. The Queen seemed to know what was on her mind._

_“Sorry if I offended you, but true love is hard to beat. Feel free to return to her and see if it isn’t the truth, but you look like a smart girl. You know it is. You should also know that this kindness will likely not be repeated the next time I see you.” Red nodded, unable to meet her gaze, and the Queen began walking toward the palace, disappearing amongst the trees. “See you on the battle lines.”_

“Well, this surely won’t arouse any suspicion.” Ruby gasps as she wakes up, the bright clouds blinding her momentarily until she makes out Regina’s form looming over her. “Don’t tell me I need to install a doggie door. This is mahogany.”

 

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Ruby mumbles as she shakily stands from her lying position on Regina’s stoop. She rubs her burning eyes, wondering what time it was as she blindly accepts the coffee Regina is pressing into her hands. “Do you think someone saw?”

 

Regina leads her through the doorway with a hand on her shoulder. “I hope for your sake, no. Don’t want people thinking you’re turning into the town drunk again.”

 

“I was never the town drunk. I held my alcohol very well, thank you.” The clock informs her that it’s six in the morning and the sight of it makes her yawn.

 

“You should go to bed. That couldn’t have been comfortable.”

 

“You’d be surprised at how well I sleep when I’m the wolf.” Another yawn but she hides it by taking a long drink of her coffee. “I usually take the last day to try to get back on a normal schedule.”

 

“So you won’t turn tonight?” Regina asks as she pulls out the frying pans, grabbing what she needed from the fridge.

 

“Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. It just doesn’t feel as strong the last night. But usually I try to enjoy it.” Ruby settles herself on the stool she had occupied the last time she was seated at the island. “I don’t think I will tonight. I’d rather get to sleep at a decent time.”

 

“How in the hell are you gonna stay awake?”

 

Ruby lifts her mug as she watches Regina chop up peppers. “With about five more of these not-so-evenly spaced out throughout the day. Need any help?”

 

“I don’t. I like cooking. It relaxes me.” She moves from peppers to cheese, grating two different kinds until there’s a plateful. “What are you going to do today?”

 

“I don’t know yet. Lunch with Belle, maybe. I’ve been meaning to see Ashley, but she’s back in school now that she found a nanny.” She shifts in her seat as she watches with pointed interest as Regina pulls out the bacon to fry a few strips for their omelets. Ruby hates these weird cravings. Wolf cravings. She should have eaten last night. “Anything to keep me busy.”

 

“Do you and Mary Margaret still talk a lot?”

 

It seems like an innocent enough question. “Yes. A little less since she and Charming got their little house. They’re homebodies now.”

 

“That’s nice for them. What’s even nicer is that the same day they signed the papers, Charming stepped down from the Sherriff’s Office.”

 

“Those holsters?”

 

“I don’t even know where he found them. I hope Emma burned the stupid things.” The smell of cooking bacon is even worse. Ruby grips her mug a little more strongly than necessary. “You should see the mayor’s office. It’s a mess. I’m starting to question whether or not David is literate.”

 

Ruby snorts, relaxing finally with the subconscious guarantee of getting food eventually. “It must be painful to watch.”

 

“You have no idea. He looks like a jackass behind that desk.” She’s moved on to whisking eggs with practiced speed. “Sorry if I’m offending you, I know you and he are… well, friends, at the least.”

 

“We are. We weren’t ever really close though. It’s weird…” Ruby stops herself, sizing Regina up as the woman stands with her back to the werewolf. Ruby has never admitted it to herself, but she wants to say it. “While Mary Margaret and Emma were gone… we got close because he always needed help. For a moment I thought…”

 

She’s caught Regina’s attention and the older woman turns to her with an eyebrow raised. “You thought?”

 

Ruby laughs and looks down, shrugging when she meets Regina’s eyes again. “I don’t know. That something was going to happen. Nothing did, but I just wouldn’t have been surprised if it had.”

 

“And you would have…?”

 

“Stopped it immediately,” Ruby replies honestly. “I really would have. It just seemed like they were gone forever.” She stands and walks over to the coffee pot to top off her cup, giving Regina a sideways glance as she begins the process of slicing up the few strips of bacon. “I should probably apologize for that whole Archie witch hunt thing.”

 

“Don’t bother. My mother was pretty thorough.”

 

“I’m so sorry. That you lost your mother.”

 

“Twice,” Regina adds, not unkindly.

 

“I know the feeling, actually.” She turns to face Regina with her fresh mug. “And I was even the one to kill my mother to boot.” Regina pauses for a moment before she pours the egg mixture onto the hot pan. “Guess we have more in common than you thought.”

 

“Well, aren’t we special little orphans?”

 

They finish breakfast and dress in their respective bedrooms before heading their own ways. Regina drives off towards City Hall, surely due for a day full of migraines, and Ruby heads towards the diner. She sits at the counter and slowly drains another coffee while Sarah is setting up with Granny. Granny wants to talk to her, surely she can smell Regina’s perfume on Ruby’s clothes, but she’s keeping her mouth shut for now.

 

She’s waiting for Belle, who usually shows up before she opens the library, but it’s Mary Margaret who catches her attention first. She bustles into the diner, her umbrella already closed. When she spots Ruby her face brightens and she approaches to join her.

 

“Ruby! I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve seen you.” Suddenly, and seemingly without reason, all Ruby can do is remember the feel of Regina’s hand on her leg, her voice whispering, _“Better tell Snow you looked a little less intrigued,”_ in her ear – the same image that had her waking from dreams for months after it happened. Mary Margaret watches her stutter for a moment before sparing her, “You know what? You should come for dinner tonight. Unless you have plans.”

 

“Ruby’s been making friends all over the place,” Granny interjects as she passes them. “She might not have the time for her old acquaintances.”

 

Ruby glowers at the back of her grandmother’s head but she manages to catch herself after Mary Margaret stares at her for a moment. “Dinner. That sounds great. Yeah, totally.”

 

“Good,” Mary Margaret says with a relieved breath, reaching for the to-go cup of coffee Sarah held out to her. “I miss you. Emma and Henry are coming. I could invite Whale…”

 

“No. No blind dates, please. Or no… visible dates. No dates. Stop laughing at me.”

 

“Alright, I’ll see you tonight then.” Mary Margaret smiles at her once more before heading out the door and walking towards the school. As soon as she’s out of earshot Granny is filling her place.

 

“Spill it.”

 

“Granny… really, there’s not much to say.”

 

“You used to be a much better liar, you know that?” Granny steps around the counter and pulls out the books, giving Ruby the receipts to sort out while she looks through the deposits. “You haven’t slept at home in days and you smell like Regina Mills, now if there’s something going on-”

 

“ _Nothing_ is going on.”

 

“If,” Granny stresses with a sharp look, “there is something going on, I want to know about it right now.”

 

Ruby drops her gaze as she matches receipts to orders. “I’m going to stay with her. For awhile.”

 

“Stay with her.”

 

“In her guest room,” Ruby replies exasperatedly. “Honestly, that’s it. She’s lonely as hell without Henry, she has no family left, and this town totally treats her like a pariah... And I…”

 

“You.” Granny is nothing if not insistent.

 

“Feel bad for her. And I need my own space away from… this town. Not from you, I swear. It’s the people. I just feel like an outsider these days.” Receipts sorted, she passes them over to Granny, daring to meet her gaze. “She’s not a terrible person.”

 

“I know that. And you know me well enough to know that I am beyond hounding her for what’s in the past. She’s more than redeemed herself.” Granny is still staring at her with that piercing look that makes Ruby feel like she’s five once more and in trouble for scaring the hens. “But why do you need to live with _her?_ Don’t you know what kind of trouble that will cause?”

 

“There’s no reason for there to be any trouble,” Ruby replies stubbornly, sitting up suddenly from her stool and collecting her jacket. “And if anyone has a problem with it, they can take it up with me.”

 

She leaves before Granny can poke holes in her logic, pushing past the door and leaving her cup half full on the counter. Ruby quickly ducks down a street that will leave her clear of Belle’s usual route. She suddenly doesn’t feel like seeing any of her friends, afraid that she’d have to admit to herself that it’d be weird if she held back the latest information in her life. So the brunette strolls down the long streets of houses lined with old trees. It’s midday before she stops her impromptu walk, finding herself standing in front of the hospital.

 

For whatever reason she walks into it, steering through the familiar halls until she finds a door labeled “Dr. Whale, MD”. She knocks on the partially opened entryway to see him sitting at his desk, stripped of his lab coat and blazer, an untouched sandwich set out before him while he reviews the chart in his hands.

 

“Ruby.” His smile is genuine if not surprised, and he stands to greet her. “What can I do for you?”

 

“Nothing, really.” Ruby twists her hands and lets out a breath. “Is it noon yet?”

 

He laughs and motions for her to sit down in one of the plush chairs set up in front of his desk while he returns to his seat, opening the bottom drawer of his desk to pull out a mickey of whiskey and two tumblers. He fills one halfway and passes it over before setting himself up.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“My pleasure. It’s not often I get to spend my lunch breaks with company half-so interesting.”

 

“By interesting you mean interested in having a drink, don’t you?” Whale just raises his glass to her in response and Ruby laughs, taking a sip from her own. “I moved in with Regina kinda. And for some reason, I feel like you’re the only one I can tell that to without being worried about what you’ll say. Why is that?”

 

“Monsters stick together,” Whale replies drolly, laughing when she crumples a post-it and throws it at him. “So you moved in?”

 

“I did.”

 

“On a whim?”

 

“Pretty much.”

 

“Well,” Whale remarks in a way that implies that there won’t be a follow-up to his statement. Ruby nurses her drink long enough that he eventually has to fill the silence. “Good for you?”

 

“Thank you? I really don’t know what I expect people to say. Especially considering I barely know what to say myself.” Ruby narrows her eyes at him. “No warnings? No declarations from the side of the good?”

 

“Was I ever on that side?”

 

“Shut up.” She smiles despite herself. “I’m having dinner with Mary Margaret and David and the whole crew tonight. I feel like I have to bring it up. Somehow.”

 

“I’d pay to see that.”

 

“You almost didn’t have to, Mary Margaret was going to invite you to even out the numbers.”

 

“And you cuckolded me? I’m saddened by this lack of kindness after I opened up my back-up booze for you. I could have scored.”

 

Ruby snorts and taps her free hand against the arm of her chair. “You _should_ come. I’ll tell her I changed my mind. It’d be nice to know someone’s in my corner.”

 

Whale nods and gives Ruby a genuine smile. “And I will be happy to accompany you. But I’m gonna have to know what Regina’s rules on house guests are upfront.”

 

* * *

 

Ruby texts Mary Margaret to tell her the change of plans, and stresses that she’s fine with her evening out the numbers with Whale. Though while she types out the sentence, she can’t help but stand in wonder of her friend’s judgment if she considers the doctor Ruby just got drunk with at lunch the most suitable bachelor in town. But she and _Victor_ had gotten relatively close recently – he was always a reliable drinking partner, whether it was a night at _The Rabbit Hole_ or across the counter at _Granny’s_. His hitting on her had petered down to become an inside joke amongst each other.

 

She stomps up the stairs of her old house to rummage through her room for her little black dress to wear that evening, knowing it must be driving Granny insane. She takes a sick little pleasure in that, well aware of how terrible it was to do so. She does her hair with the many combs and brushes she had left behind, carefully straightening each strand to kill time. Ruby takes inventory of what she still has in her room, making note of their importance and clearing out an old box to place them in if she decided she needs the item desperately.

 

By the time she pops down to the diner for a snack and packed her car with her lone box, she’s already on her way to picking up Whale from the hospital. He tosses a bag and his jacket in her back seat, dealing with someone on the phone for the majority of their ride to the Charming residence.

 

“Sorry about that,” he says as he checks the few messages he’s received since his time on the call. When he takes note of the block he undoes his seatbelt in time for Ruby to slowly pull up behind Emma’s yellow bug.

 

“It’s no problem. Please feel free to bring up as much hospital drama as you want tonight.” She rubs her arms as they step out of the car and walk briskly up to the door.

 

As soon as they finish knocking the door is opened and Mary Margaret greets them, hugging Ruby and taking Whale’s coat from him. She apologizes quietly before leading them into the den where David and Emma are in a heated debate in front of Henry, who was sitting quietly on the couch.

 

“Goddammit, Emma,” Ruby actually blinks at the harsh tone, taken aback by a David she almost didn’t recognize, “there is no way we fought that hard to bring her down just to put her in power again.”

 

“As the mayor of a small town,” Emma says slowly as if she were talking to a child. “She’s had her powers for a long time now and has done nothing with them.”

 

“Because she’s waiting for the right time.”

 

“The right time to what?” Emma waves off Mary Margaret’s hand when she approaches and steps closer towards her father. “Do you really think reinstating her as mayor is the final step in her devious plan? Like that would hold her back from doing _anything_.”

 

“I’m with the sheriff on this one,” Whale adds from the liquor cabinet he’s helping himself to. “Just give the woman her job back. She was a damn good mayor.”

 

“Why is he even here?” David asks Mary Margaret.

 

“Because,” she replies with a rising tone, “he was invited to the nice dinner we were _supposed_ to be having.”

 

David sighs and rubs the back of his head, turning towards the fireplace at the end of the room. There’s an awkward silence amongst the rest in the room (with Whale being the exception as he pours himself a tall glass). Ruby takes a seat next to Henry, running a hand across the sullen boys shoulders.

 

“I’m with Emma, too,” she says finally, trying to seem nonchalant. It draws the attention from everyone in the room – David looking at her incredulously while Whale smirks from his position across from her. Mary Margaret and Emma share a glance and then they both look at their patriarch.

 

“That’s five-to-one,” Henry points out, straightening up a little. Ruby didn’t realize her decision was either popular or meaningful. But she had risked her life for this family on more than one occasion; she supposes it counted for something.

 

“Let’s… have dinner,” David mumbles, walking out of the room quickly. Whale laughs and holds out his arm as Ruby stands, leading her to the dining room much to the bewilderment of the three people left by the fireplace.

 

Dinner goes by with idle chat, Ruby sticking with water as she watches Whale and David have a silent contest in polishing off highballs. Henry is full of information, enough to distract them all from the tense atmosphere well into dessert. Ruby picks at her cake until attention is called to her.

 

“Hey, Ruby, I noticed your Camaro was parked outside of Regina’s place.”

 

She kicks Whale hard under the table, but he takes it in stride by biting the inside of his cheek. Even that doesn’t stop the Cheshire grin spreading over his lips.

 

“I, uh… yeah, she um… yes.” She’d kick herself if she could do it without Mary Margaret seeing. “I had dinner there the other night.”

 

“You had dinner with my mom?” Henry asks just a half-beat before Emma parrots, “ _You_ had dinner with Regina?”

 

“I did.” She smiles somewhat nervously, taking a long drink of her water.

 

“That’s nice,” Mary Margaret tries vainly.

 

“Why would you have dinner with Regina?”

 

She isn’t surprised by David’s tone; she greets it with a more genuine smile than she could muster before. “Because she was having dinner and wanted company.”

 

A long beat of awkward silence follows her statement, but Ruby holds David’s gaze long enough to show him she is ready to answer any other questions he has. Before he gets the chance to, Mary Margaret interrupts the stiflingly quiet atmosphere.

 

“Well, I think that’s great. That Regina’s reaching out to people again. I think it shows a lot of character.” It seems sincere, but Ruby can’t help but wonder if she’s doing it for Henry’s benefit.

 

“Are you best friends with my mom?” Henry asks, blue eyes bright.

 

“I… I guess I’m friends with her…”

 

“So that’s why you’re telling me to make her mayor? Because you decided to befriend poor, little Regina?”

 

“David-”

 

Ruby cuts Mary Margaret off, furrowing her eyebrows as she looks at her former dear friend, “I _agreed_ with Emma and everyone else in this room when I said you should reinstate her. The only reason you’re unwilling to do it is because you can’t imagine a world where you’re not ruling over everyone.”

 

Whale, who seems impervious to the tense atmosphere, looks across the table to Ruby. “Maybe we should go.”

 

“You’re right,” she agrees immediately, pushing her chair back despite Mary Margaret’s plea for them to remain seated. Ruby squeezes Henry’s shoulder when she passes by and heads out the door, far ahead of Whale who has to stop to fumble with his jacket.

 

“So,” he asks from down the pathway, pulling her keys out of his pocket and tossing them to her, “what are they saying in there?”

 

Ruby laughs and deflates against the hood of her car. “Mary Margaret’s yelling at David in the kitchen and Emma’s trying to small talk Henry away from the subject of why David hates his mother so much.”

 

Whale ambles up to her, a grin still on his face even though he’s looking down at the pavement as he approaches. “I tried to help, you know.”

 

“I do.” When he gets close enough she punches him in the shoulder. “Asshole.”

 

He rubs the spot but accepts the punishment, leaning against the passenger door. “Wanna come back to my place for a nightcap?”

 

“Pass,” she replies as she pushes off the hood and heads towards the driver’s side.

 

* * *

 

Regina’s in her living room holding what Ruby can only describe as a chalice filled with a deep, burgundy liquid. She smiles at Ruby’s entrance and motions for her to take a seat, putting aside the papers she was looking at.

 

“How was your evening?”

 

“It was… eventful. Should I have called about not being here for dinner…?”

 

Regina shakes her head and sits back into the corner of the couch. “Of course not. If you’re not here by seven, I’m sure I can put two and two together. Did you dine out?”

 

Ruby shakes her head and laughs. “Mary Margaret’s. David’s up in arms because everyone’s telling him to step down and reinstate you. Guess you had a busy day at the office?”

 

“To say the least,” Regina replies before taking another sip of her drink.

 

“Well, it bubbled over a little at dinner. I was only sorry that Henry was there to see it all.”

 

Regina’s hold on her drink tightens. “I take it they asked your opinion in the matter.”

 

“They did. And I told them what I thought.” Ruby leans back and crosses one leg over the other. “It ended up getting out that… I have been here… having dinner… and being your friend.”

 

“Friend?”

 

“I couldn’t quite work up the nerve to admit the roommate part. But Granny knows, so expect some glares. And leers, since I told Whale.” Regina laughs and looks down at her drink, face softened by the dim lighting in the room. Ruby catches herself staring and forces herself to speak. “Henry seemed glad.”

 

“He would be.” There’s a wistful tone in Regina’s voice that’s just heartbreaking enough that Ruby can’t find the words to speak afterwards. Regina lets the silence linger for a minute before she looks up at Ruby again. “Would you like to come riding with me tomorrow?”

 

“Riding? God, it’s been… well, almost three decades now,” she laughs. “I’d like that. Sometimes horses get a bit… skittish around me.”

 

Regina smiles. “Don’t worry, I only brought the good ones over.”

 

* * *

 

A week goes by in total, quiet contentment. Ruby gets to know Regina: the avid gardener, the horror flick lover, the enigmatic horseback rider. Granny doesn’t say a thing about the situation to Ruby and greets Regina with a quiet indifference, so Ruby feels like she has that relatively under control. She still keeps quiet around Mary Margaret, who seems to go out of her way to make an excuse to come to the diner to see Ruby. Ruby assumes it’s because Charming is still mad at her and Mary Margaret doesn’t want to rock the boat by inviting her over.

 

Twelve days after their rocky dinner, David steps down as mayor. It’s done quietly, slipped into the paper but without ceremony, and the following Monday Regina resumes her normal workday hours. When Ruby has a spare moment she helps Regina get the office back in order, going so far as to enlist Belle to help them, with all her clerical knowledge.

 

Belle is more ready to forgive Regina than most of those who suffered directly because of her. To her, the time spent locked away seemed like only a day, the only scary part being her departure before Gold broke the curse and then again when she lost her memory. She works with them well into the night, filing and sorting without complaint and keeping up the conversation in the room.

 

“I think that’s kind of nice,” Belle admits when Ruby spills to her about her living arrangement in the safety of the closed library. She’s helping Belle restock the shelves with the checked returns. “She must have been so lonely living there by herself.”

 

“She was. I’m glad you don’t think it’s weird. Only a few people know,” she hints as she slides one of the books onto a shelf that Belle can’t quite reach without assistance.

 

“My lips are sealed, I swear. To be honest, I’m kind of thankful that you had something to do with her being made mayor again. David didn’t quite have a handle on how to order books from outside of the city.”

 

Ruby laughs and leans back against the shelf. “Regina says he took over the stables. I think he’s actually glad to have something a little more his speed, but I’m pretty sure he’s still mad at me. Mary Margaret always has to call me from another room now.”

 

“Does he give Regina any trouble at the stables?” Belle asks as she pushes the empty cart back behind the desk. “I see her there a lot.”

 

“I didn’t know you went riding.” Ruby follows her to the counter and leans against it. “She hasn’t mentioned anything, so I assume he leaves her well enough alone. She has her own horse there.”

 

“Me too as of last Monday,” Belle admits as she gathers up her jacket. “I haven’t named her yet, but I’ve been out a few times now. I missed it.”

 

“I did too. Regina’s taken me out a few times.”

 

“So you two are quite close now?”

 

“I guess so. It’s weird, but we just kind of mesh well.” Ruby steps out into the downpour, her jacket hiked up over her head as Belle locks the large front door. “Dinner?”

 

Belle nods and they rush across the street into the safety of _Granny’s._

* * *

  

Regina and Ruby have begun a nightly tradition of dropping everything at ten and enjoying a glass of wine in the living room, surrounded by pictures of Henry and the warmth of the fire. Tonight they’re both sitting on the couch, a scrapbook of Henry’s baby pictures between them.

 

“God, I remember when he first learned to walk,” Ruby laughs, leaning back against the cushion. “He wouldn’t sit still at the diner. He’d march back and forth and grab a french fry each time he passed you.”

 

Regina smiles and closes the book; taking a sip of the white wine they chose that evening. “He was a cute kid,” she agrees, folding her fingers over the edge of the album. “What about you? Do you ever want kids?”

 

“I thought I did for awhile,” Ruby admits, draining her glass and setting it down on the coffee table before folding her knees under her on the couch. “But I don’t think I do anymore. I’m not sure I’m… maternal.”

 

Regina raises her eyebrows. “And here I thought all that wolf blood would make you a protective den mother.”

 

Ruby smiles and looks down, biting her lip. She doesn’t really have a reply and her cheeks are warmed from the wine and she’s all too aware of Regina’s closeness. But Regina’s calm and collected, her heartbeat is even and she’s sitting perfectly still. When Ruby looks back up Regina keeps up her gaze and opens her mouth to speak, only she doesn’t end up saying anything.

 

Ruby wonders if she’s thinking about their encounter, if Regina noticed how Red’s breath had caught and pulse increased. Maybe Regina doesn’t remember that part at all; maybe she only remembers the service provided. But there was something in the way Regina looks at her that makes Ruby certain she recalls whispering to her in the woods that day.

 

“I’m going to go to bed,” Regina says suddenly, diverting her eyes. She slides the scrapbook and her glass onto the table and steps around it, moving towards the grand staircase. “Goodnight, Ruby.”

 

“Goodnight, Regina,” she echoes looking down at the spot where Regina had been.

 

For the first time in weeks she feels the need to roam, so she slips out of great mansion and into the dark Storybrooke streets. Her feet take her around the main square and into the back alley towards _The Rabbit Hole_. She enters her old retreat, relieved to see Whale already three sheets to the wind.

 

“Ruby! Gem… gem of my life. Next round’s on me,” he shouts to dozen or so patrons in the bar who clap in return. He’s dressed in blue scrubs and his lab coat, a long black jacket hanging on the chair behind him. Ruby slides onto the stool next to his and smiles. “And what brings you out this evening?”

 

Ruby gives her order to the waitress who’s making the rounds and steals what’s left of Whale’s glass before she answers. “Needed to get out. Celebrating?”

 

“Well, I was until some werewolf took my drink. True story,” Whale whispers, leaning in. Ruby laughs and he signals the waitress on her way by to get him another one as well. “Successful… head fracture… patient, thank you very much.”

 

“Maybe I should be buying the drinks,” Ruby offers sliding the empty glass she held to the middle of the table.

 

“Nah. Just because we’re in Storybrooke doesn’t mean I don’t make doctor money.” His hair looks red under the neon light advertising some foreign beer in the corner. “How’s life? Need any more dates to uncomfortable meals with close friends? Because my schedule’s more flexible than you’d think.”

 

Ruby smiles and decides right then her course of action for the evening. She nods towards the exit and Whale doesn’t question the movement, just reaches to throw some bills down on the table, handing her his jacket as they step out into the night. The blue-eyed man is good about making conversation as they walk towards the row of old buildings that had been converted into apartments.

 

She’s never been to Whale’s place and she’s kind of regretting it now. It’s ultra modern, brushed-steel countertops and matching appliances, a small balcony that overlooks the city, a huge TV and a large collection of movies to match, and a stylish bedroom. Ruby kind of laughs the first time she kisses Whale, because he has literally been asking her out for almost thirty years.

 

“About time, huh?” Whale asks as he moves to turn down the bed.

 

“I can definitely say you put up a fight.”

 

He laughs and reaches for the bottom of his shirt, tossing it to the side when he removes it, his badge clinking against the dresser it lands on. Ruby can hear his heart beating faster as she steps out of his jacket and walks over to him, kissing him soundly before pulling him overtop her on the bed.


	3. Part Three

Ruby had forgotten how much she enjoys sex. Her former reputation had definitely been worth it in her past life, though she was pickier than people made her out to be. Two different guys and one girl in twenty-eight years seems reasonable to her. And Red hadn’t exactly found the time to meet a guy after the trauma of her first relationship.

 

She used to hate this particular style of sex, feeling suffocated when she was underneath someone, powerless and at his or her whim. But Ruby doesn’t mind it now, appreciating the safe feeling of being surrounded by someone, Whale’s five o’clock shadow brushing against her cheek and neck while he moves on top of her. Her legs wrap around his hips under the blankets while her hands sift through his blonde hair.

 

To his credit, Whale is pretty decent in bed. And when they finish he treats it lightly, telling her she’s more than welcome to stay. She does, turning to lay her head on his chest, listening while his heartbeat slows to normal. Whale doesn’t need any more incentive than that, wrapping his arm around her shoulders while his free hand reaches to pull the blankets to their correct position.

 

When they wake up, it’s as easy as it had been the first night she spent at Regina’s. They eat breakfast and have coffee and talk. When they go to redress, he stops her from unbuttoning the blue dress shirt she had stolen from him to eat in.

 

“You should keep that. Don’t girls like to do that? Keep shirts and mementos from guys?”

 

“From their boyfriends,” Ruby corrects as she reaches for her tight jeans.

 

“Well, I’m your… guy-friend. Keep it. Looks better on you anyway, I can’t pull off that particular shade of blue anyway. It clashes with my beautiful eyes too much.”

 

She laughs and does the one button back up before pulling on her pants. The shirt fits better than the one she has from Graham, tucking into her jeans without much hassle. She loosens the cuffs so she can roll the sleeves up and steps into her shoes, grabbing her leftover shirt before kissing Whale’s cheek and leaving.

 

Ruby nearly laughs at the expression on Granny’s face, but she manages to hold it together long enough to drop her shirt in the laundry room and grab an apron. Mary Margaret comes in as soon as she emerges again and smiles, but moves to the farthest booth as David follows behind her. Of course, seeing as Ruby is the only one working, Mary Margaret’s plan is slightly flawed.

 

“What can I get you?” She asks as she approaches, a fresh pot of coffee in her hands. She fills each cup as she pretends not to notice the signals Mary Margaret is clearly giving David.

 

“Just bacon and eggs for me,” the former queen says tightly.

 

“Me too,” David says immediately, following with a hesitant look on his face, “Look, Ruby…”

 

“It’s forgotten,” she says simply, her expression genuine but not quite bright. David just nods and Ruby turns around so she can quickly write up their order and hand it to the kitchen. She’s about to turn back to engage in some sort of meaningful conversation when Regina walks in, wrapped in her black coat.

 

“Coffee?” Ruby offers somewhat meekly.

 

“To go,” Regina nods as she stands at the counter. Ruby fills her cup, stirring in the cream and sugar before topping it with a lid. “Thank you.”

 

“See you for dinner tonight?” She asks quietly as she rings up the order in the till, getting Regina her change.

 

“Seven?” Ruby nods and Regina retreats. “See you then.”

 

* * *

 

Ruby doesn’t shower when she returns home, despite a probable need for one. Instead she strips down and changes into a sports bra and yoga pants and begins a rigorous workout. Her favourite invention in this world is definitely the ability to bring music wherever you go, whenever you need it. Thousands and thousands of songs you can take anywhere. Ruby, like most in the town, is just starting to catch up with the truly modern music in the world, like Adele and that song that girl sings about calling her… maybe. Ruby loves it, gets lost in it for hours until Regina opens her door at a quarter to eight.

 

“Sorry I’m late,” she intones blandly as Ruby removes her headphones, “Though it doesn’t seem like you noticed. We have guest for dinner. And there was something left on the doorstep from the flower shop.”

 

Regina reveals the wrapped bouquet, handing it to Ruby and grabbing a vase from one of the slim tables in the hall, heading towards the bathroom. Ruby tears at the paper, revealing red tulips and a card she can’t help but laugh at.

 

_“Gem of my life._

_V. W.”_

She has to hand it to Whale, he writes his own cards and even seems to pick out his own flowers – the tulips are vibrant, fresh, and beautiful. Ruby can’t remember the last time she had gotten flowers. She slips the card into the pocket of the hoodie she had thrown on at Regina’s arrival, and gladly accepts the now water-filled vase from the older woman.

 

“I’ll give you fifteen minutes to shower. Don’t bother getting done up or anything, it’s just Henry.”

 

Regina leaves without another word and Ruby promptly obeys, setting the vase down on her dresser and having a quick, hot shower before redressing – exchanging Whale’s shirt for one of her own. She heads downstairs with her hair still partially damp, smiling at Henry as she settles into the empty spot at the table in between him and his mother.

 

“How’s it going?” she asks casually, because she has spent a fair amount of time with this kid now and has known him his whole life. Ruby reaches for her wine before her ham, despite feeling both weary and starved. “In high school yet?”

 

“You know I’m not.”

 

“Right, right. How’s your new teacher?” She can feel Regina watching her carefully in her peripheral, but she keeps her gaze on Henry as she begins on her scalloped potatoes.

 

“She’s good but she doesn’t spend enough time on English. We’ve only read two books this whole year.” Henry, much like his mother, is good with people, though in a different way. A natural easiness with someone, no matter who, or what, they were – a born and bred politician.

 

“Just read on your own and ask Belle any questions, she’d love it.”

 

“She should start a book club,” Regina remarks casually from her end of the table, wine glass still in her hand, meal untouched. “I’m sure a lot of other students would join.”

 

“I’ll talk to her about it,” Ruby offers. Again, the meal goes by more easily than Ruby could have imagined, but she can’t help but notice that Regina has barely touched her food the entire night. Still, they end up all sitting in the living room, the conversation surprisingly cheerful, even on Regina’s end.

 

“So what’s it like being the wolf?”

 

“Pretty awesome,” Ruby replies, earning a laugh from Regina who is sitting on the couch with Henry, running a hand through his hair.

 

“You’re pretty much a superhero without the wolf thing anyway. Super speed and strength.”

 

“I keep hoping that I’ll learn to fly one day so I can take this Superman guy out for good.” She shouldn’t have had another glass of wine. Both of the Mills’ are laughing though.

 

“Why did you move in with my mom?” Henry asks bluntly but not unkindly. Despite little indication given on their actual rooming status, he had picked up on it and she's not all that surprised.

 

“I… I guess I needed a change. Your mom was nice enough to help me out with that.” Ruby eyes Regina over the rim of her glass, taking another long drink. “She’s pretty cool like that.”

 

“So are you going to stay long?”

 

Regina’s staring blankly at Ruby despite the desperate look for help clearly written on her face – as if she asked the question herself and is waiting patiently for a response.

 

“As long as she’ll let me, I guess.”

 

Henry turns his head up, still leaning against his mother’s side, waiting for a remark. “Well, I’ll give you a trial run, but I’ve never been great with pets.”

 

Ruby scoffs and throws a pillow at her and Regina laughs, catching it without spilling a drop. The night is easy and nice and downright lovely up until Henry has to leave. Ruby walks with them to meet Emma at the door, leaning against the wall as she watches Regina bend down to hug her son tightly. Emma gives Ruby a small wave which Ruby returns, and before long the door is closed and she’s left alone with Regina.

 

“The worst pain imaginable,” she quotes as Regina turns to walk up the stairs, stopping immediately at her own echoed words. “Every day.”

 

“Every day,” Regina parrots without emotion, staring at Ruby as if she really is waiting for an answer to something she hadn’t asked. Ruby pushes off from the wall until she’s standing a foot away from Regina, hands slipped into her back pockets. “Whale?”

 

Ruby nods and looks down, laughing a little. “I wouldn’t give him a bad recommendation.”

 

Regina smiles and turns to walk up the stairs, hand carefully gliding along the rails. “I’m going to have a bath and go to bed. Thank you for the company at dinner.”

 

“Thank you for dinner,” Ruby offers lamely in reply, watching as Regina ascends the stairs and disappears in the hall. She walks up to her own room, the aches in her muscles finally settling in now that there is nothing to distract her from the vicious three hour workout she had earlier that evening.

 

Collapsing on her bed, Ruby sighs and stretches her arms above her head, listening as the tub on the other side of the house finishes filling with water. She grabs whatever book she had left on her bedside table and continues reading, propped up against the headboard, tired but alert.

 

Two hours pass and Ruby has made a considerable dent in her book, but she still finds herself unable to sleep despite her exhaustion. She considers going for a run, but her muscles immediately protest when she rises from her bed. Instead, Ruby walks down the hall quietly and quickly, stopping at Regina’s door and listening. She expects to hear a command to come in, but Regina seems fast asleep.

 

She slips in unnoticed, heading towards the unoccupied side of the bed, debating internally for a long time until she finally settles under the comforter, but not the sheets (her compromise for the situation). She turns to face Regina’s back, listening to her quietly breathe in and out. It doesn’t take her long to fall asleep.

 

* * *

 

Regina is gone when she wakes up, actually gone because Ruby has slept until noon. She blindly rises from the bed and walks through the hall and down the stairs, finding the coffee ready to brew and a note telling her there is a plate in the refrigerator for her.

 

She heats up the pancakes, moving at a lethargic pace as she waits for the coffee. When she finally gets a cup of coffee, she wakes up and finishes her meal quickly. She dresses for work, but decides to take a drive around town as she waits for her shift to start. She doesn’t mean to go by the school, but she ends up at a stop sign with Mary Margaret waving her over from the grass where her students are settled.

 

She parks the car around the corner and walks over, smiling a little nervously. Large groups of children are not her forte. Still, Mary Margaret implores her to sit.

 

“I’m sure you guys know Ruby, right?” The children nearly step over each other to agree, and Ruby smiles, settling in and sitting on her shins, nervously playing with the keys in her hand. Mary Margaret turns to her and informs her of their situation, “We’re talking about the other land.”

 

“Well, what can I do to help you?” Ruby asks as she glances down at the xeroxed copies of maps of their former homeland.

 

“I’ve been telling them how far I travelled, but I need some help filling in the gaps. Thankfully, you were with me every step of the way,” Mary Margaret replies warmly, looking at Ruby with her bright blue eyes.

 

“Not _every_ step,” Ruby reminds her before adding with a wink to the class, “just the ones that mattered.”

 

They spend a half an hour discussing their routes, the traps they fell for, the ones they outsmarted, how they survived. It’s somewhat invigorating for Ruby to retell her history with Snow, and she finds herself sad when the final bell of the day rings. The kids rush inside to get their things but Mary Margaret lingers, a permanent smile having taken over her face.

 

“That was great. You should come again. I get a ton of questions about Red, you know,” she adds, motioning for Ruby to follow her inside the building and to her class, where Mary Margaret grabs her coat and purse. Henry meets them on the stone steps, rising as they come out the main doors to the school.

 

“I heard you were here today. Why don’t you talk to my class?” he asks as they descend the stairs.

 

“It wouldn’t be half as interesting without Snow White there. I was just the sidekick.” She flicks him in the shoulder, but guides him across the lawn to her car. “Come on, I’ll treat you and your grandmother to a hot chocolate.”

 

“That gets less and less funny the more people say it,” Mary Margaret laments as she follows behind. When they arrive at the diner they meet up with Ashley who is waiting for Sean, now her husband, to get off work. Mary Margaret immediately begins to coo over the baby, swaying her back and forth when the blonde hands her over.

 

Henry sits at the counter, his backpack falling to the floor by his feet. “Why do girls freak out over babies?”

 

Ruby laughs and wraps an apron around her waist before she tends to the promised drinks. “It’s a hormone thing. They make us crazy.”

 

“Do you want one?”

 

“Nah. I like being able to pass them back when they start crying.” She steams the milk and squints through the haze as she watches Emma walk through the door, talking politely with Regina. “Your moms are getting along a lot better lately.”

 

“It’s weird when you say ‘my moms’. But they are so that’s cool. I think Emma trusts my mom more now that you live with her.”

 

Ruby glances up as both Regina and Emma become sidetracked by the baby, then turns to Henry, grabbing the whipped cream and cinnamon shaker and passing them over after finishing Mary Margaret’s so he could add his own.

 

“What about David and Mary Margaret? Are they still fighting about... me and her being roommates or friends or whatever?” She feels somewhat guilty trying to extort information from a child by distracting him with whipped cream, but no one ever talks about her and Regina’s situation when Ruby is within hearing distance.

 

“A little. I think they want to invite you back over for dinner though.”

 

Emma is awkwardly backing away from the baby and asks Ruby to make another hot chocolate as she takes the whipped cream can from her son. “That kid is growing like a weed.”

 

“So is yours,” Ruby comments with her back turned.

 

“Nah, I think he’s done. You’re good with staying that height, right, kid?” Henry sticks his tongue out but doesn’t comment on account of the tower of whipped cream he’s eating away at with a spoon.

 

Mary Margaret joins them with a wistful sigh, leaving Regina to talk with Ashley, who is nervous but allows Regina to hold the baby nonetheless. They’re talking about parenting things that frankly bore the hell out of Ruby so she tunes out and gives Emma her hot chocolate.

 

“I miss babies. People in this town need to have more babies,” Mary Margaret sighs as she blows on her steaming cup.

 

“Speak for yourself,” Emma replies, shaking on the cinnamon.

 

“I am.”

 

“Not true,” Regina says as she approaches, Ashley having returned to the arduous process of trying to make her daughter eat something. “I agree with the more babies movement.”

 

She takes a seat next to Mary Margaret and for the next half hour there’s peace amongst their family as they talk about the maps they had been looking at that day, Mary Margaret pulling out her copy that’s marked with numerous things she has added herself, mostly about her journeys across the vast land. Regina comments on her father’s estate, describing it to Henry in full detail with even Mary Margaret adding a few nice words.

 

She had begun explaining their route the time she and Emma were sucked back when David arrives, fresh from work. Mary Margaret freezes suddenly and the tension rises. Ruby can feel the hair on the back of her neck standing and she shakes herself to try and relieve the feeling of stress she’s picking up on from nearly everyone in the room.

 

“I came to pick you up,” David states simply not looking at anyone other than his wife.

 

Mary Margaret, to her valiant credit, just smiles in return and attempts to brush it off. “We’d better get going. You smell like a barn.” She turns back to the counter and gathers her things. “I’ll see you all later.”

 

Ruby can feel that David is aware of her as he walks out to his pick up, clearly avoiding speaking while she can hear them. The old truck starts with a roar and as soon as they’re out of sight, Emma stands from her stool.

 

“We should get going too, I guess.”

 

They leave but not before Henry hugs his mother. When they’re gone, Regina laughs at Ruby’s expression. “Progress is progress,” she says simply before dropping a bill and following them.

 

* * *

 

Dinner goes by without much comment, Regina isn’t eating much as she looks over papers in a folder she has next to her plate. There’s nothing rude about Regina’s conduct, she speaks when she has something to say and engages in any conversation Ruby starts, giving her full attention to the other woman when addressing or being addressed.

 

Ruby wants to talk about the fact that they had slept together in the most literal sense, but Regina has said nothing to give away the very idea that it’s on her mind at all. So Ruby remains quiet until she can’t hold it in any longer, blurting it out at their ten o’clock meeting.

 

“I’m sorry if I weirded you out last night. I couldn’t sleep and… I… I don’t know. I sleep better when someone else is there. I think it’s the wolf thing. Pack mentality.” She’s blushing the same colour as her dark red wine, but she manages to keep herself from performing any other nervous tics. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Here I thought you were a lone wolf,” Regina remarks dryly, gaze unwavering as always.

 

“Not by choice,” Ruby states with little emotion.

 

“I thought you were sleeping quite well here.”

 

“I was,” the brunette insists quietly from her seat. “Last night I couldn’t though… the night before was another story.”

 

“So he wore you out, huh?” Regina takes a drink, but Ruby can see the smile on her face.

 

“I think it just reminded me that I missed that. I missed sleeping with Snow.” She winces at her choice of words. “You know, actually sleeping with her. When we were on the run and it was just the two of us.”

 

“She managed to make quite a few friends,” Regina dictates cryptically, uncrossing one knee just to cross the other.

 

“I just had a really fun time. She was so… hopeless,” Ruby laughs, looking down at her lap. “And sweet. But really, really hopeless at first. I mean, when she ran away from your huntsman, she ran _up_ a mountain. Up! Up a snowy, freezing cold goddamn mountain. Her survival instincts were questionable to say the least.”

 

Regina manages to laugh quietly, but Ruby can see the guilt in her eyes.

 

“But she caught on. Quickly. She helped me through the worst time of my life without having known me for more than a day. She was so willing to help me get back on my feet in the middle of a snowy forest, on the run from two sets of people – the guards after her and my village after me. But she stayed with me. And she learned. To shoot, to spear, to cook, to make a shelter – everything.” Ruby’s smile won’t die down, remaining bright on her lips. “She’s a survivor.”

 

“You’re telling me,” Regina breathes and Ruby laughs again, though this time in embarrassment.

 

“Yeah, I guess you know more than anyone.”

 

“She was a good kid. That’s why I couldn’t manage to do anything for so long, until I knew she could at least defend herself. The anger… it kept growing, but I couldn’t lay a hand on her. Sometimes it was like she really was my daughter.” Regina’s index finger taps against her glass. “She was a cute child. A princess who didn’t know how pretty she really was. How loved she was by the people. They loved me too, though.”

 

“From what I can tell, other than your terrible need for vengeance that led to a whole land being transported to another universe, you were a good ruler to your people.” Ruby smiles. “You still are.”

 

Regina squints at her for a long moment before replying, “That was a good change of subject. You should be in politics.”

 

“You caught me, you crafty bitch,” the brunette sighs as she takes a sip of her wine, Regina laughing across the room. “I’m going to stick with the wolf thing. It seems like my best defence.”

 

“Natural politician,” Regina begins immediately, draining what’s left in her glass before continuing, “And, I suppose it’s a valid weird wolf point. People already have the wrong impression about you staying here though.”

 

“They do. I’m sorry about that,” she says honestly, all the while wondering in the back of her head how Regina could remain so composed after a bottle and a half of wine. “But that probably won’t ever change.”

 

“It won’t,” Regina agrees courteously, “and I’d hate for you to not feel comfortable here.”

 

Ruby stares at her for at least a minute before she can find her voice. “You want to sleep with me?”

 

“I didn’t even notice last night, I probably won’t tonight.” Regina’s voice drops to a certain drawl sometimes, something that’s seductive and dangerous and it immediately sets Ruby on edge for some reason. “But if it were to get out-”

 

“It won’t, I promise-”

 

“Your friends would probably lynch me and tell my son that I decided to go home or something equally as creative as that.” Regina’s warm brown eyes have taken on a sharp look and Ruby finds herself speechless and nodding in reply. “Your room is your room. The rest of the house is as open to you as it is. Now, I’m going to change for bed. I’ll see you.”

 

Ruby waits until she slowly nurses the rest of her wine into oblivion before she stands to walk to her room. No matter where she leaves a dish or glass, they always vanish before she wakes, returned to their proper place in the cupboard completely spotless. She changes into sweatpants and Whale’s shirt; feeling like the reminder of her recent encounter would keep her mind off a new one.

 

She walks into Regina’s room with a fake bravado, immediately beelining for the side of the bed she slept on the night before. Regina’s reading from the same folder she had at dinner.

 

“What is that anyway?” Ruby inquires, staring up at the ceiling.

 

“Book orders for your friend. She’s cast a large net here.”

 

“I think she just did that so you’d weed out the excess and settle for the ones she really wants.” Ruby yawns and rolls onto her left side, facing away from the woman beside her. “That’s why she puts the good ones on the first few pages.”

 

“Clever little brat,” she hears Regina mumble as she divides the stack in two and tosses the bottom half onto her nightstand while leaving the rest in the folder. She turns off her lamp, bringing them into darkness as she settles under the covers. “Goodnight, Ruby.”

 

“Goodnight, Regina.”

 

* * *

 

A week goes by without interruption to Ruby’s new routine. Wake up, shower as Regina prepares breakfast, do the dishes as Regina gets ready, head to work or to the school or to Whale’s office to hang out, return home for dinner, read or listen to music or workout at night, have a glass of wine with Regina, and then settle into bed next to the woman on her queen-sized bed without any further comment about it.

 

On Friday, a particularly warm and sunny day, Mary Margaret walks into the diner with a bright smile on her face. She invites Ruby to dinner, saying she had already cleared it with Whale, and begging her to agree. Ruby gives herself time for a little consideration, Mary Margaret looking up from her plate with puppy dog eyes whenever she passes by.

 

“Fine,” she eventually acquiesces, smiling as Mary Margaret immediately jumps to her feet and hugs her.

 

“It’ll be great. I promise. Nothing like last time.”

 

Ruby arrives at Whale’s apartment at ten minutes to seven, and as soon as he enters the car he begins laughing. For two blocks, he continues until he finally catches his breath. “I can’t believe you wore my shirt.”

 

“I thought you’d appreciate the gesture,” she chimes, earning an even harder laugh from her counterpart as she pulls onto the long street that had the Charming residence at the end of it. “How was your day?”

 

“Not too bad. Kids came in for their visit the patient thing, so I couldn’t drink. Davey better not be stingy tonight.” Whale straightens his tie in the mirror, glancing over only briefly. “How about you? How’s life in Casa de Mills?”

 

“It’s been… perfectly fine. I like it. I feel bad though, Regina won’t accept any rent or money for groceries or anything. I’m thinking about sneaking her bills and paying them behind her back.”

 

“A master plan if I ever heard one.”

 

“Shut up,” she replies, punching his shoulder as she speeds through the empty streets.

 

“How’s your book babe friend? Still hung up on Gold.”

 

“Unfortunately.”

 

“I swear there’s not a single woman in this whole town,” his smile turns into a smirk, “other than you and your roommate, of course.”

 

“Can’t charm Emma into meeting your demands?”

 

“Not worth the time.”

 

“Rude,” she accuses as she pulls up to the curb in front of Mary Margaret’s house. They’re both without jackets on the warm spring night, but are welcomed in just as briskly as they were before. It’s the same crowd as it had been on their previous dinner, but they’re all immediately sent to the dining room table to eat before Mary Margaret gets them their drinks. She keeps the whiskey in the dining room, on a hutch close behind Whale for convenience.

 

The conversation is less strained, though Whale and David both hit their drinks just as hard. Ruby can feel the former king and mayor watching her with idle curiosity, but he says nothing throughout the meal. Whale and Mary Margaret are good about keeping the conversation flowing until dessert.

 

Dessert itself, however, turns into a different story when Mary Margaret dares to bring up the topic of Ruby’s lodging.

 

“So, Ruby, when are you moving out of Regina’s? There’s an opening at the loft, you know.” Charming remains focused on the peach cobbler on his plate, so it seems like an innocent enough question for Ruby to answer.

 

“I’m not sure I will. Not for the foreseeable future anyway.” Ruby smiles and spins her fork on her plate. “I’ll stay as long as she’ll let me.”

 

“Are you kidding me?” David asks suddenly.

 

Before she can reply, Mary Margaret interjects. “ _David_. He didn’t mean to make it sound like that.”

 

Ruby stops before her mouth can form a word and stares across the table at her best friend. “What do you mean?”

 

Mary Margaret stares back with an identical look of confusion. “Well, you aren’t really going to… live there, are you? I’d like to think I’ve come pretty far in forgiving Regina, but I would never live with her.”

 

Whale’s hand comes up to rest on the back of Ruby’s chair as he ignores his dessert. “Rent-free living is hard to pass up,” he adds in a vain attempt to lighten the mood.

 

“It has nothing to do about money and you know that,” David fumes as if Ruby had said it herself. “You can’t possibly live with the woman who stole your life away.”

 

“You mean the one who gave me a new one that I liked even more? I thank her, actually,” she throws back casually.

 

“Thank her? For what, ripping apart our lives? For making us give up our daughter?”

 

“ _You_ chose to do that and no one else,” Ruby snaps.

 

“Ruby…” The brunette turns her attention to the ebony haired woman across from her again. “You can’t possibly believe us losing our child was for the best. Emma didn’t have a home growing up because we had to make that decision.”

 

Emma, the subject in question, takes a long drink and avoids any eye contact while her son sits by totally enrapt in the conversation.

 

“And Henry wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t. Sometimes it’s the whole picture you have to look at. No offense, Emma. But I grew up without parents, too. And I had twenty-eight years where I didn’t have to remember that I killed the boy I wanted to spend my life with. I had a new life where ghosts didn’t haunt me.” Ruby stands from the table, Whale sighing and sliding out of his seat as she does. “Well, this was fun. We’ll try again next month and see if anything changes.”

 

“Red…” The look on Mary Margaret’s face _almost_ makes Ruby reconsider her plan, but she steps around the table anyway and heads towards the door. She and Whale drive in silence until they pull to a stop in front of his apartment building.

 

“So… same time next month?”

 

She can’t help but laugh, though her hands still clench the steering wheel. “Please tell me I’m not in the wrong.”

 

“You’re not in the wrong.”

 

“But neither are they.”

 

Whale nods and looks over at her. “Neither are they.”

 

“This is so shitty,” she sighs, finally relaxing back into the seat. She returns his gaze and smiles, not needing to verbalize the relief she feels at his presence. He knows, and smiles in return.

 

“Nightcap?”

 

Ruby laughs again, taking a deep breath before she nods and shuts off the engine.

 

* * *

 

She doesn’t stay this time, accepting the kiss on the cheek from Whale at his doorway and insisting that he didn’t send flowers. He laughs and waits until the elevator closes before he returns into his apartment.

 

Ruby drives slowly back to her home, and walks up the staircase even slower. When she enters the bedroom, Regina is asleep on her stomach, facing in towards the bed. She walks around to her side and undoes her jeans, kicking away her socks. Sliding onto the bed, she slowly lets out a breath as she faces Regina, who looks _so_ young as she sleeps serenely in the moonlight.

 

When she wakes up, Regina is still in bed and is staring at her. Ruby is alert at once, holding her breath. Regina says nothing, however, she only stares for a moment after Ruby's eyes have opened and then turns to step off the bed, dressed in nothing but a black slip. She heads for the hallway, but Ruby speeds to cut her off, stopping her until they stand face-to-face.

 

“Did you have a good night?” she asks, nonplussed by the woman who appears in front of her

 

“No.”

 

Regina eyes her up for a moment. “Did you have fun?”

 

“How can you understand me so well when I barely know a thing about you?” Ruby breathes, her face imploring and confused. “How can you know what I need before I say a word?”

 

“Because I know you, Ruby.” Regina sets her jaw and stands straight and suddenly Ruby feels small, shaking her enough that she leans back against the railing, allowing Regina to pass if she chose to. She doesn’t though; she turns so they were in the same position as before. “I know you like no one else ever will because we’re two sides to the same coin, and unless you understand that, you’ll never understand me. Your friends are going to tell you that this is a lie and that you’re nothing like me, and you’re not in some ways, but you know better. You’re a smart girl.”

 

Ruby’s eyes close and she feels Regina step closer, her hands resting on the bannister on either side of Ruby’s hips. “Tell me why you came here, Ruby.”

 

Ruby’s eyes open. Regina is intimidating and inviting and her body is melting against Ruby’s, all soft curves and sleep-warmed skin. “Because you know me.”

 

Regina isn’t soft when she kisses Ruby, she’s demanding and rough just like Ruby imagined her to be, just like Red fantasized she’d be. Ruby’s hands grasp her shoulders and bring her closer, even as one of Regina’s moves from the bannister to brush past Whale’s shirt and slide beneath her underwear.

 

If her heartbeat hadn’t been beating in her ears and if her lungs hadn’t been so desperate for breath that she gasped between each kiss, she would have heard it – the arrival of people walking up the pavement to the front door. The banging of someone’s fist against the wood has her bolting down the hall to Regina’s open bedroom door, disheveled and gasping. She and Regina share a brief moment of shock across the hall before Charming’s foot opens the door with a loud crack and bang.

 

Regina composes herself and walks calmly down the stairs as he calls for her name. Ruby dares herself to walk back to where she had just stood so she could hear the small group of people she could pick out by their individual scents – David, Mary Margaret, Emma, and Archie. She’s relatively surprised she doesn’t smell the scent of baking, but Granny seems to have opted out of this occasion.

 

“Can I help you?” Regina asks as the sound of David’s steps climbing into the foyer are heard echoing through the house.

 

“What have you done to her?”

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Ruby hears the sound of a skin meeting skin, a slap that’s followed by the gasps and objections of the three other people at the door. Ruby’s heart is in her throat and she’s paralyzed for a moment, but when she hears the sound of David’s gold band clinking against the metal of his gun, she’s down the stairs in an instance, grasping David’s wrist so tightly that she can hear the bones fracture before the gun falls to the floor.

 

“Ruby, let him go,” Regina whispers behind her back.

 

Ruby, in turn, loosens her grasp but doesn’t let go of her hold completely as she meets the eyes of each intruder, so they know she’s talking to all of them when she eventually speaks to David.

 

“If anyone harms a hair on Regina’s head, I will hunt them down myself.” She can hear her own breath coming out as small puffs while David strains in front of her. She lets the blonde man go, but remains standing where she is, between him and Regina.

 

“Ruby,” Mary Margaret starts as Archie rushes forward to pull David back down the stairs and out of the manor. She and Emma remain in the doorway, Emma wide-eyed and Mary Margaret heartbroken.

 

“I mean it. She’s my friend. She’s taken me into her home. She’s done everything she could possibly do to earn your respect back, but if you’re not willing to ever give it then let’s stop the façade completely, okay?”

 

Mary Margaret doesn’t say anything else, just turns to follow her husband. Emma stands in spot for a moment before she slowly walks up the stairs to retrieve David’s handgun. She gives Ruby a look, not quite of acceptance or otherwise, just one that tells her that it’ll blow over in time.

 

She’s left standing with Regina as the broken door is closed. Before anything can be said, Ruby turns on foot and walks calmly up the stairs. She changes into her jogging outfit and runs out the door with her headphones on before she can hear what Regina is doing.

 

Ruby runs all day, until the moon begins to rise. Tomorrow she can change and forget about everything as the wolf, but tonight she’s stuck as herself. She walks home in the dark, muscles again protesting at the harsh workout inflicted on them without notice.

 

She can hear the sounds of a bath in the far corner of the house and she follows it blindly. Like a dog returning to its owner, she finds herself kneeling in front of the bathtub as Regina soaks in the murky water. Her face is relaxed if not friendly, despite the darkened bruise on her left cheek.

 

“A badge of honor,” she declares somewhat sardonically, but Ruby knows it’s the truth. She’ll wear the bruise proudly for anyone who wishes to see it.

 

Ruby reaches over to softly brush the back of her finger against the discoloured skin. “You could heal it away.”

 

“I’m aware.” Ruby sits back down and Regina smiles warmly, lifting her hand from the water to watch the droplets fall from her fingers back into the tub. “I’ll be in shortly.”

 

The brunette nods and stands from her position, heading back out into the hallway and towards her room. She flexes her hand as she walks, unable to get rid of the feeling of bones crushing beneath her fingers. No matter how hard she ran and how much she hurt, the feeling had stayed with her the entire day. Ruby changes quickly, and applies some extra deodorant for consideration before she follows the same trek back.

 

She’s in the bed alone for a long time as Regina goes through her nightly routine, not coming out of the bathroom until her hair is blow-dried and her skin is soft from lotion. Regina settles into bed as if Ruby isn’t there, turning off her light and settling in on her back, mirroring Ruby’s position.

 

She doesn’t move, however, when Ruby turns to rest her head on her shoulder, sliding her hand across Regina's silk-covered stomach and grasping her hip.

 

“Goodnight, Ruby.”

 

“Goodnight, Regina.”


	4. Part Four

Ruby spends the week in the forest. She had woken up before Regina the night after the incident – well, she had been awake and left the bed after Regina fell asleep. She lives on instinct rather than conscious thought, waking up just as the sky begins to darken and running at night. She walks across almost every foot of the forest before the week is through.

 

On Friday, she knows she’s out of time; that her vacation away from the town had to end, though she does take a moment to try and calculate how long she could survive in the forest (she figures a good seventy years at least), but nevertheless Ruby is padding across the pavement as the week comes to a close.

 

It’s past midnight, closer to dawn really. She really could milk this for at least another half of a day, but she’s tired. She’s never felt like this as the wolf before, rundown and exhausted, but apparently even wolves have their limits. Ruby stops as the scent of Mary Margaret catches her out of nowhere, apparently not having taken note of what street she had ended up on when she left the trees that had been her haven for the week. She thinks about going in, transitioning and knocking on the door and waking them up. Beg them to forgive her.

 

Ruby lets out a whimper and continues on her way, now moving through the city with a renewed interest to escape it once again. She forces herself to change before she walks through the door to what is now supposed to be her home. It’s quiet and dark and the scent of the rescue team has given way to freshly cut flowers.

 

She’s standing at the foot of Regina’s bed before she knows it, ridding herself of her mud-caked pants and shirt. Regina wakes up at the sound, looking alert the moment she sees Ruby. Not worried or confused or frightened, just aware. She doesn’t say anything, not even as Ruby climbs over her on the bed. She just waits and looks.

 

It unnerves Ruby a bit because she doesn’t know what to do and Regina seemingly always does. But she’s silent underneath Ruby, unmoving and stoic. But when Ruby kisses her she responds immediately.

 

“All I could think was how much I missed this,” Ruby whispers in between rough collides of their lips, a sudden urgency having taken over every move she makes, making her rip buttons and leave unintentional bruises in her wake. Regina matches her energy with fervour, kissing the younger girl like she is dying for it, her own hands pushing down the straps of Ruby’s bra. “Your perfume, your shampoo… these sheets… this room… they all smell like you. God, I missed it.”

 

Regina silences her with a hungry kiss, groaning quietly when Ruby proceeds down her neck. It’s the only kind of sound she makes, only sound either of them makes for a long time. The sun is peaking through when she finally speaks in a sated voice, her hands sifting through Ruby’s hair as the werewolf used her stomach as a pillow.

 

“It was so quiet. I almost went mad.”

 

Ruby turns her head to look up at her. “I thought you were used to quiet.”

 

“I was.”

 

Birds chirping, dogs barking, cars starting – the day is beginning outside and Ruby hates it. She wants to stay cocooned in this room until the rest of the world disappears. She knows Regina will rise eventually; she has a town to run even on the weekends. If she disappeared for a week her absence would be severely felt, despite half the town’s apparent distrust of their mayor.

 

“Is he okay?”

 

“He’s got a pretty impressive cast on his wrist.” Ruby groans. “But he’s fine. I had a drink with Whale though, he says you did some damage.”

 

She wants to ask why Regina would have a drink with Whale, but she knows. She’s a smart girl. “Did they come back?”

 

“No. I walked in on the end of a conversation your grandmother was having with Mary Margaret, she reminded her where you’d run to. I take it she didn’t make it out into the actual forest?” Ruby shakes her head, feeling her eyes droop as a week’s worth of emotions takes it toll on her. “Sleep, Ruby. I promise you that every problem you have will still be here when you wake up.”

 

* * *

 

She sleeps through the day, only waking briefly when Regina returns to bed Saturday evening. She rolls over and throws her arm over Regina’s stomach and promptly falls back asleep. She rises with her the next morning, eats breakfast and dresses, but when she’s ready, she just sits at the kitchen window.

 

“Why don’t you go see your grandmother?”

 

“I will,” Ruby replies with little emotion.

 

“Your friend’s book club is starting up today. I was going to go with Henry, but why don’t you meet him there instead?”

 

“Why?” The brunette turns to face her, watching as Regina looks through the stack of mail from the previous week. “Don’t you want to see him?”

 

“I do, but I feel like you could use some social interaction without the stigma. Besides, story time? No thank you.”

 

Ruby drives instead of walks like she usually would. Walks give her the time to think, but driving is mechanical and easy to do without thought. She parks in front of _Granny’s_ and crosses the street to the library before she can look in the windows to see who is staring at her. She can feel it, but she doesn’t want to acknowledge it.

 

When she walks in, the group is just starting, children sitting in a semi-circle around Belle and the occasional parent close by. She sits behind Henry, nudging him in the back to announce her arrival without interrupting Belle, who is reading to them,  _To Kill a Mockingbird_ in her hands as the kids follow along with their own copies.

 

She’s sitting next to Jefferson, who’s seated behind his daughter. He and her parents here seem to have worked out an arrangement, it makes her wonder why the Charmings and Regina were still at war over Henry, after all that has been said and done. She knows there is more bad blood, but for Henry’s sake, she doesn’t see why he can’t have the same upbringing that Paige has managed to work out.

 

They read for an hour before the group finishes for the day, many kids leaving to enjoy the rest of their weekend while a few remained. Ruby talks to Belle briefly, ensuring her a full update on the town gossip that had been circulating. Henry doesn’t have much to say on the situation, she wonders if he is even partially informed about the altercation, but she doubts it.

 

She treats him to lunch, walking through _Granny’s_ front door like she would on any of her off days. Granny’s in the back, which Ruby is somewhat thankful for, though she’s sure Granny knows she’s there. Sarah takes their order, and most of the patrons seem to not take notice of their meal, so Ruby tries to enjoy her time with Henry, even when his mother comes.

 

“And the wolf girl returns,” Emma says as she joins them, smiling as the waitress arrives to fill her cup with coffee. “How was your week in the woods?”

 

Ruby doesn’t know when it became easier to talk to Emma than Mary Margaret, but she’s thankful for the neutrality her best friend’s daughter offers. “Uneventful. How were things here?”

 

Emma picks up on the loaded question, glancing to ensure that Henry was enrapt with his french fries rather than the undertones to their conversation. She gives Ruby a weary look and takes a sip of her coffee. “Uneventful.”

 

When the two depart Ruby walks through the back door into the laundry room to where Granny stands folding sheets. When Ruby enters she nods towards the other end and for a few minutes, they remain in silence as they take care of the laundry. It reminds Ruby of being a child, hunting with Granny as they silently stepped through the forest. She can remember it then, being able to pick up on everything from the river off in the distance to the rustle of the leaves next to her.

 

“Emma wasn’t lying. It’s been uneventful.”

 

“I take it they came to you before they decided to try and rescue me from Regina’s claws.”

 

“They did,” Granny replies, tossing the folded laundry into an empty basket. “I told them they were being ridiculous, but they assumed the only reason you were staying there was because of a spell Regina cast. I think they still kind of believe it. Or want to.”

 

“Why is it such a big deal to everyone?”

 

“That you’re sleeping with the queen who banished us from our land?”

 

“That I’m living my own life,” Ruby snaps back. “One that doesn’t revolve around them. One that I’m very happy with, even if I lose people who are supposed my family in the process.” She gives Granny a side-eye glance. “Friends who I thought were my family. I know it doesn’t include you.”

 

“Good.”

 

Ruby sighs and leans back against the folding table. “I take it there was also a meeting afterwards.”

 

“There was. Charming was still irate, and he had a very good reason so don’t even make that face. I can’t remember the last time I saw Mary Margaret so worried. Emma and Archie tried to defuse the situation – Hopper went on about how you and Regina could relate on a psychological level, and Emma just kept saying that it didn’t look like you were under any spell.” Granny walks over as the dryer goes off, pulling out the towels and bringing them back to the table, shoving half the load in Ruby’s direction. “I told them pretty much the same. They feel betrayed, Ruby. You can’t expect them not to. And they don’t even know you’re bedding the Queen either.”

 

Most grandchildren would flush at the mention of their sex lives by their grandmother, but this is a popular enough conversation that Ruby doesn’t bat an eyelash at it anymore.

 

“It’s been so long. All of us… we’ve been fighting a hard life since we were children. And when we got here, there was peace. Until Emma came and everything changed. And now, we have no one left to fight, so they have to turn it back on Regina. Not Gold, or Jefferson, or the people they’ve already killed. It’s like they can’t exist without an opposing force and they chose her as the default.”

 

“And that might be true, but change takes time. Adjustments take time. Not everyone is so ready to let go of the past as you are.”

 

“ _We_ are.”

 

Granny sighs and stops her monotonous motions, tossing the towel aside and turning to look at her granddaughter. “You have to think, Ruby, long and hard about who you want in your life – about where you want to be in ten years. That's the fight in this land, and you have to learn to face it like everybody else.”

 

She leaves before Ruby can respond, the brunette sighing before she finishes the towels and leaves through the side door. She sees Charming’s truck parked in front of her Camaro and stops for a moment before continuing to her car. Ruby still needs time to think and she knows she won’t be able to do it at the empty mansion she lives at.

 

Whale’s not in his office but it’s unlocked so she walks in anyway, seating herself in his cushy chair and helping herself to a tumbler of scotch. She can hear him approaching from down the hall, speaking to the nurse about a young boy who fractured his leg at the school Friday. When he arrives he stops for a moment and blinks in surprise, but he sits across from her, dropping the stack of open files on his desk and nodding toward the empty glass.

 

“Well, you’ve been a busy little pup,” he remarks, taking the drink in one hand and signing a sheet with another before moving it aside to do the same to one underneath it.

 

“Are you busy?”

 

“Just release forms. I’ve become pretty good at multitasking when drinking is involved.”

 

Ruby smiles and leans back in the chair, staring up at the ceiling. “How long is David going to be in a cast?”

 

“For a while,” he admits, glancing up at her. “But he’ll manage. He’s already back at the stables. I think he’s already gone riding, actually. What the hell happened? They were still too mad to discuss it the next day. Emma told me what _happened_ but, you know, I’d like to relive the details. David needed to be knocked down a peg.”

 

“They thought they were rescuing me or something. He tried to pull his gun, though. As if a gun could kill Regina.”

 

“I think he forgets that sometimes,” Whale adds as he leans back against his chair, his glass already nearly empty. “She came by here. She didn’t say much except to ask about Charming. But she was sporting an impressive bruise.”

 

“Courtesy of the King.”

 

“I figured as much. Talk to them yet?”

 

“No. I saw Emma today. Granny says they’re at a standstill about the whole thing. I’d get where they were coming from if it was two years ago, but god.” She takes a deep gulp of her drink, her eyes watering at the bite. “I don’t know what to do.”

 

“I can’t help you there, Rubes. I can help you out of your clothes, but this one is beyond me.”

 

“I thought doctors were supposed to heal people.”

 

“Nah, you’re thinking of nurses. We just diagnose.”

 

“Shut up.” She’d throw something at him if there was anything in range, but for some reason a stapler seems too harsh. Instead she pours herself another drink.

 

Whale laughs and returns to his paperwork, glancing up quickly. “Maybe you should talk to Hopper.”

 

“God, you think I need help too?”

 

“I’ve always thought that. You used to be a nympho and you’d never come home with me.” She does toss the stapler this time, a little more roughly than she means to but he takes it in stride with another laugh. “Really, though. He’s good at that fake medicine shit.”

 

* * *

 

When she finally returns home, she’s exhausted and it’s dinnertime. Regina’s in the kitchen pulling something out of the oven, glancing over only briefly at her when Ruby steps in. The mayor busies herself, grabbing the cutlery and plates.

 

“How was story time?”

 

“Good. _To Kill a Mockingbird_.”

 

“I’m sorry I missed out. That was a good one.”

 

Ruby sits at the spot she knows Regina will put her setting. “Do you read a lot?

 

“I try to. The authors here are pretty impressive.” Regina sets the plates down and brings the ham. “What about you?”

 

“It’s weird. Like, I know I haven’t read so many books or seen any of these movies, but when I start them, I already know how they go. Like the pop culture stuck with Ruby.” She shakes her head. “It’s like déjà vu sometimes. At least I usually know if I like a book or not when I’m reading it.”

 

“So you’re a re-reader then?”

 

“I am. You’re not?”

 

“I am not. When I’m finished with something, I prefer it to stay finished.”

 

Ruby sighs at the shift in conversation, focusing on her meal until she can ignore Regina’s stare no longer. “Emma says there hasn’t been any change, Granny says I only have myself to blame, and Whale says that David will probably be in a cast for the next few months. What else can I say?”

 

“Doesn’t seem like _you_ are saying anything at all.”

 

Ruby sets her jaw, her gaze still on her plate. “Well, there’s nothing for me to say. Do I have to explain myself to you? I thought you were the one who understood all this.”

 

“I do. But I find it intriguing that you’re so willing to give up on friendships you’ve had for decades over something as small as an address change.”

 

“They’re the ones doing that, not me,” Ruby throws back. “I have no problem with them except the one they apparently have with me.”

 

“By association,” Regina adds nonchalantly as she cuts the meat on her plate into neat squares.

 

Ruby watches her for a long time, both her meal and her gaze going unnoticed. Regina doesn’t mind being stared at – she loves it. She knows the mayor must take some sort of pleasure in watching people come up with a reply to her remarks.

 

“Do you even want me here?” she asks suddenly, unaware the question had even been on her mind. “Because sometimes it seems like you could take it or leave it altogether.”

 

“You think I’d share my home – my _bed_ with you, if I didn’t want you around?”

 

“No, but you don’t seem to be all that willing to step up in either direction.”

 

“Because my interfering would accomplish absolutely nothing, if not make the predicament much worse. As you know damn well.” Ruby glowers, feeling like a kid being punished. “What do you want me to say?”

 

“I don’t know. I really don’t.”

 

“Well, that seems to be a problem.”

 

“Just say whatever you want to say, Regina. You don’t need me to goad you into it.”

 

Regina smiles and looks down at her plate. “Ruby, I want you here. I enjoy your company. I thoroughly enjoyed your performance the other morning. I want you to stay.”

 

“What if it just creates more drama with you and Henry?”

 

“It will, but it’s the good kind of drama. Henry’s smart, he knows something’s going on, but he gets that it doesn’t have anything to do with him and that his grandparents are now angry with their friend for simply living with me.” Regina takes a sip of her water. “I hope you don’t feel as if I’m using you, but it is a mighty fine cherry on top to know my son is more than likely in my corner this time. Because you’re in it as well.”

 

Ruby feels somewhat childish for handling this situation more poorly than an actual child. They sit through dinner in silence and for the first time since Ruby has stayed there, Regina leaves the house afterwards. Ruby doesn’t really know what to do left on her own, even if she usually spends her nights alone. She lies on her bed in the darkness, even though she hasn’t graced this mattress for weeks now. But it’s quiet and dark and she can be alone with her thoughts with little influence from Regina’s presence in the house. She sighs and pulls out her phone.

 

* * *

 

Pongo is in her lap because he refuses to move and Ruby’s stopped trying, even if Archie breaks every once in awhile and to try and control his dog.

 

“So you have feelings for Regina then?”

 

She blushes and she doesn’t really know why. “I do.”

 

“More so than the ones you have that you think… binds you two together because of your circumstances?”

 

“Listen, I just… I’ve forgiven her. I’ve thanked her for what she’s done for me, for bringing me to this world where I’m so much happier. She’s beautiful and smart and kind… even if people don’t see it.”

 

“You didn’t answer my question.”

 

“Yes,” she breathes, “I have more-than-platonic, romantic, nice feelings about Regina.”

 

Archie laughs a little, his pen tapping against his clipboard. “Why is it so hard for you to say it, exactly? Because of your friends?”

 

“I just said it, what more do you want?”

 

The doctor leans forward in his chair so he can re-cross his legs. “I want you to feel like you can say whatever you want, honestly and openly, the best you can. I’m not here to judge you.”

 

Ruby sighs, running her hand along Pongo’s spotted back. “I know you’re not. But you came that day.”

 

“I did. In your defense,” he points out.

 

“I know. Thank you for that. But if they’re not gonna listen to their walking, talking conscience, I don’t see how I can fix anything with them, save for severing all ties with Regina.”

 

“You really think that’s your only option?”

 

“They’re making it my only option!”

 

“Have you spoken to them since?”

 

“No,” she admits begrudgingly. “But Emma’s filled me in.”

 

“Have you seen them since?”

 

“No.”

 

“But you’re going to go back to work today?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And you’ll more than likely see them there. How do you think you’re going to handle that?” Archie asks after writing something down.

 

“With more civility than they showed me.”

 

“Good.”

 

“Better to kill them with kindness, right?” she asks tiredly.

 

“If you let go of your hostilities I have no doubt in my mind that Mary Margaret and David will as well.” Archie clears his throat and looks down nervously. “Just maybe not right away.”

 

She makes another appointment for the next week before she crosses the street and walks into her grandmother’s restaurant, pulling on an apron and taking over for the matriarch of her family who stays behind the counter and busies herself with looking over the orders forms.

 

Ruby smiles when Ashley enters, taking her order before she sits with her, taking Alex into her lap so the baby can stuff dry Cheerios into her mouth as they wait for Ashley’s food.

 

“This kid is getting ridiculously big.”

 

“I know,” Ashley yawns, rubbing her eyes. “But she’s going through this wonderful codependence phase. You should hear her scream when I leave for school.”

 

“She just misses her mommy.” Ruby drops a kiss on top of the gold ringlets that cover the child’s head. “How’s Sean?”

 

“He just got a promotion actually, which has been a godsend with the nanny fees. And we’re not holding our breaths waiting for our cheques to bounce anymore.” The blonde takes a long drink of her coffee. “But we should hang out soon. Sean keeps offering to give me a night off since I’m always in, but I’ve been swamped with homework. It’s getting easier now.”

 

“Yeah? I’d like that. Girls night.” She winces a little. “You, me, Belle…”

 

Ashley gives her a weird look, but it’s accompanied with a smile. “Mary Margaret, Emma,” she adds.

 

“I don’t know. They’re not really my biggest fans since I moved in with Regina. Sorry if I didn’t tell you that before.”

 

“Please, everyone knows everything about everyone else in this town. Just not what matters – like Gold actually being the one behind everyone’s misfortune, both here and _there_.”

 

“About that, can you tone down the Gold hate when we hang out? Belle might find it a teeny bit offensive.”

 

“Well, she should. I’m trying to offend. What she sees in him…” Ashley shakes her head and slides from the booth when the bell rings in the kitchen, saving Ruby the trip. When she returns she begins by cutting her toast up into pieces for Alexandra. “I don’t have an issue with it, you know, if you’re worried about that. I’m sorry about Emma and Mary Margaret though.”

 

“Yeah, well,” Ruby lets out a breath when she doesn’t know how to continue. “I’ll… invite them, but I’m inviting Regina too. Thursday night is still girl’s night at the Rabbit, right? The bar schedule is no longer imprinted in my brain.”

 

“It is. And we should definitely go out for drinks. Maybe it’ll be a chance to break bread.”

 

* * *

 

Ruby just asks for whatever Regina orders, shifting uncomfortably in her green dress. She’d already been hit on twice, and each time she's had to kick Regina under the table to stop her from laughing.

 

“Didn’t take you for a gin girl,” she remarks as she takes a sip of her martini, waving Ashley over when she arrives. She’s thankful she makes it before Belle, who, despite having forgiven Regina, is still awkward around her.

 

“Clear liquor makes me more social,” Regina replies drolly, shifting in her seat. She gives Ashley a small smile when the blonde takes a seat next to her. “Mrs. Herman.”

 

“How long until I get used to hearing that?”

 

“Give it two more months. If it still doesn’t seem right after then, throw in a hyphen.”

 

Ashley laughs and orders the same thing they did. The three spend then next ten minutes in a comfortable discussion on child rearing, Ruby thankful that her two friends are able to talk on their own while she nervously drains her drink as she keeps her eyes trained on the door.

 

Emma walks in and for a moment Ruby feels relieved when she sees the shadow behind her through the tinted glass at the entrance. But when the blonde walks through to meet them, it’s not her mother who follows her in but Belle.

 

Regina’s eyes are on her, but Ruby tries not to look disappointed. She smiles and pretends not to notice the empty chair, laughing a little as Emma reluctantly orders their apparent drink of the night. She knows the conversation wouldn’t be flowing so easily amongst the group if Mary Margaret was there with them, but she can’t shake the feeling of rejection, even after she and Regina return home.

 

“She’ll get over it, Ruby,” Regina says as she turns down the covers and does away with the extra pillows. “In-”

 

“In time, I know.” She does know it but it hurts. Ruby supposes she knows how Mary Margaret felt when she came through her front door on their false mission. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

 

“Looking over some business propositions. Gold is being a generous lender to some startups that want to take us into the twenty-first century.”

 

“That’s… weird.”

 

“I guess we have your friend to thank.” Regina sighs as she relaxes into the bed. “It’s not a bad thing, at any rate.”

 

* * *

 

She’s surprised when she hears it the next evening, the distinctive squeak of her yellow bug’s doors alerting her as she set the table for dinner. Ruby cautiously calls out for Regina, informing her of Henry and Emma’s arrival. Regina furrows her eyebrow and joins her at the top of the stairs before the entryway.

 

Emma knocks, but Henry pushes through, dragging a duffel bag behind him before he drops to the floor to undo the laces on his sneakers.

 

“He wants to start spending some weekends here,” Emma says slowly. “I didn’t see the harm. His room is still an ongoing project at the loft.”

 

Regina smiles and descends the staircase, Ruby close on her trail as she grabs Henry’s duffel bag and brings it up to his room, sharing a small smile with Emma before she does. By the time she’s seated in her place in the dining room, Henry is sitting across from her, already digging into his dinner.

 

She exchanges a look with Regina, but the older woman just continues her conversation with her son. After dinner she helps him with his homework, apparently having studied this country’s history thoroughly in her long lifetime here. Ruby stays back, allows them to have their time, doesn’t even mind when Henry joins them again for their evening glass of wine.

 

“This is terrible. Why do people like this?”

 

“I told you that you wouldn’t like it. But I was practically nursed with wine. We didn’t really have… regulations in the other land.” Regina pours his small portion into her own glass, nodding to Ruby. “What was Granny like? Since I was eight I was allowed to have one glass at every formal banquet. Which we had constantly.”

 

“Special occasions,” Ruby nods. “I didn’t start liking it until I was like twenty though.”

 

“But you managed to get through until then?” Ruby laughs and nods, taking a deep drink. Regina’s hand is draped over her son’s shoulders, picking at a loose thread on his shirt. “You can try again when you turn sixteen. Maybe it’ll keep you away from parties in high school.”

 

“I’m going up to bed. I still have another chapter of _To Kill a Mockingbird_ to read before Sunday. Are you going to come again?”

 

“I’d love to,” Ruby responds smiling at Henry as he says his goodnights. They’re quiet for a long time as they hear him walk across his bedroom, sorting his things. She knows he can’t hear them, but she still lowers her voice. “So where do I sleep tonight?”

 

“Depends on who goes to bed first.”

 

* * *

 

Henry does, thankfully, because Ruby can’t imagine sleeping alone anymore. She leaves for work the next morning as the two plan their day together, elated to see the joy in Regina’s face once again. She falters, however, upon entering the diner and seeing Mary Margaret there. She smiles nervously at Ruby’s entrance and waves her over.

 

It’s busy, but Granny doesn’t seem to mind when she sees Ruby slip in the booth across from Mary Margaret.

 

“How are you?” The pixie-haired woman asks good-naturedly.

 

“Fine. Really good, actually. Henry’s at the house so Regina’s over the moon.”

 

“Yeah, Emma mentioned that he was going to start staying over more. That’s good.” Ruby nods and looks down. There’s so much going on in the diner, sometimes it’s hard for her to think straight. She can hear conversations, chewing, heartbeats - one faster than all the rest that feels like it was hammering into her brain. “I wanted to apologize… for jumping to conclusions about Regina. You know David only had your best interests in mind, right? He said you two got so close while we were gone… this is really weighing on him.”

 

“It’s weighing on me too. I feel sick about hurting him.” Her leg starts to bounce in time with the heartbeat, now actively trying to seek it out to ensure someone wasn’t about to have a heart attack in the diner. “And about how I treated you. We’re family.”

 

“We are,” Mary Margaret says in a relieved tone, a smile over taking her face. That’s when Ruby realizes it, when her best friend’s heartbeat slows to a normal rate as the nervous energy seems to leave her. “And I couldn’t bear to lose you.”

 

“Mary Margaret… I… are you free for, like, a half hour?”

 

“Oh. Um, of course. We could spend the day together if you want to, unless you have to get back to work.” Mary Margaret pulls her jacket and stands from the booth, frowning a little as Ruby drags her from her spot and out of the diner. “Is something wrong?”

 

“Not… not exactly.”

 

* * *

 

When she returns home that evening, she has a slight buzz from the energy rushing through her. Henry’s already asleep, but Regina’s sitting up in bed, reading a novel she seems to have picked up from the library. She raises her eyebrows as Ruby enters, pulling off her shirt.

 

“Good day at work?”

 

Ruby laughs and pulls out something to sleep in. “A very, very good day.”

 

“What made it so special?” Regina asks, setting her book down in her lap and accepting the kiss Ruby crawls over the bed to give her.

 

“Mary Margaret’s pregnant.”


	5. Part Five

She’s stunning when she sleeps, her dark hair surrounding her like a halo as the sun shines in through the large windows. It adds to the luminescent material that makes up Regina’s comforter, making her seem as if she’s glowing. Ruby hardly ever finds herself awake before Regina, but the high from the day before seems to have remained, causing her eyes to jolt open like lightning is moving through her veins.

 

Ruby slides across the bed when she can’t stand it any longer, waking her up with a warm kiss placed below her ear.

 

“Good morning,” she mumbles after Ruby moves to her lips. “So babies do it for you then, hm?”

 

“I’m happy,” Ruby replies, moving down Regina’s jaw to her neck as she slides on top of her. Her teeth bear down and it earns her a shaky gasp that she desperately wants to hear again. “Aren’t you happy?”

 

“Very, very happy,” Regina breathes and grasps the back of Ruby’s head to kiss her hungrily, moaning quietly against Ruby’s mouth as the brunette slides a hand down Regina’s stomach and underneath her pajama bottoms. It’s an addicting thing, to have Regina powerless underneath her, to draw gasps and whimpers from deep in her chest, to feel her shiver and jerk as Ruby bites at her shoulder.

 

“You’re incredible,” Ruby whispers in Regina’s ear as she watches her fall apart with a stuttering whimper. She kisses Regina again and again while she tries to catch her breath, only to eventually be good-naturedly pushed away with a laugh. “You are.”

 

“I think I’m supposed to be relishing you with compliments, dear.” Regina runs her hands along Ruby’s scalp, laughing as it causes Ruby’s neck to relax and her head to fall against her shoulder. “Sometimes the canine similarities are astounding.”

 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re insinuating that the girl who just gave you a fantastic orgasm is the same as Pongo, and frankly I find that disturbing.” Regina laughs against the side of her head, hands moving down to rub her neck. “New house, new bed, new baby. Maybe it’s turning around.”

 

“You’d be a good mother,” Regina muses, earning her a guffaw from Ruby as she lifts her head to meet her gaze. “You really don’t think so, I assume.”

 

“You assume, I know. I don’t think I’ll be having any litters anytime soon.”

 

Regina moves to hold her jaw loosely, eyes studying Ruby’s mouth. “Here I thought Ruby Lucas was brimming with self-confidence.”

 

“Self-confidence? Yes. Maternal instincts? Not so much.” Ruby swoops down to kiss her. “Not all of us can be Regina Mills.”

 

Regina laughs and pats her shoulder. “Come on. I have a soon-to-be twelve year old and a werewolf that will be demanding breakfast within the hour. It’s a tough crowd as it is.”

 

* * *

 

“So I’ll be…”

 

“He or she will be your uncle or aunt,” Ruby clarifies as they step into the library. She shakes out the umbrella before she walks in, removing her boots as Henry unlaces his shoes. “Feeling okay about these big life changes?”

 

“Sure,” he shrugs in reply. Ruby laughs a little; you could dangle this kid from the side of the Empire State Building and he’d probably just ask when it was time for lunch. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

 

“I don’t know… You won’t be the only kid in the family anymore.”

 

“Trust me, I wouldn’t mind someone else getting some attention now and then.”

 

Ruby laughs again, shaking her head as she leads him to their spot. “God, you take after your mother.”

 

“Which one?”

 

“Both, really.”

 

* * *

 

Ruby misses this feeling, the gentle swaying back and forth as the wind blows through her hair. She had been to the stables with Regina a few times, but they only went off the property once and not nearly as far as she is going now. David rides next to her in silence, his right hand on the reins and his left resting in sling.

 

“Are you sure you’re okay riding with one hand?”

 

“Wouldn’t be the first time. Usually I’ve got a sword in the other, though.” He smiles at her in a warm way that makes Ruby feel at ease as they let the horses choose whatever speed they want on their hike through the woods. “Remember when it was just us looking for Snow?”

 

“I do,” she nods. It had been a little terrifying, really. They had travelled for days together, and all she can remember was leaning on Charming’s optimism until he finally caught her neurosis. “It was getting scary, the longer it took. Knowing neither you or me was with her, protecting her.”

 

“She showed us.”

 

“Yeah, she did that pretty often, actually.”

 

David laughs. “Thanks for coming out with me. I don’t like riding alone and Mary Margaret wouldn’t take the chance.”

 

“It’s too bad it’s not a genetic trait. I think Henry handles himself better than Emma.”

 

“Ah, you can only expect so much from a spoilt twenty-first century kid these days. Say what you want about horses, at least we weren’t killing our environment when we travelled.”

 

“They’ve got it right about plumbing though. Major time saver.”

 

David laughs again and brings them into silence as Ruby awaits his next remark, watching as his eyebrows furrowed. She has no idea why she agreed to this particular first meeting with David, but she appreciates the effort for intimacy and nostalgia.

 

“Remember the night we split up?” Ruby asks suddenly, startling David a little with her question. She doesn’t expect a response really, after so many years of not talking about it. “You… it was like all of a sudden you took every worry I had from me and put them on your shoulders. There’s never been a moment in my life when I was more afraid of what was going to happen next.”

 

“You kissed me,” he states because she doesn’t. “Pretty good diversionary tactic, Lucas. Caught my attention, anyway.”

 

“Well, it was either that or slap you, and judging by your wrist there I think I saved you a broken jaw.” A corner of his mouth quirks up but he looks down, looking lost in thought. “We’ve never talked about it because it didn’t mean anything. I would have done the same to Snow if it had been her.”

 

“While I appreciate the idea that you’d kiss my wife if she were feeling down, I’m glad it hasn’t come to that.”

 

“Yet.”

 

“Well, you remember her when she was pregnant with Emma. Those hormones were killer.”

 

Ruby smiles as they enter a small clearing, bringing her horse to a halt. David does the same and they both look out at the clear blue sky. “It feels like years since I’ve seen the sun.”

 

“Spring definitely didn’t come willingly this year. But it’s here now.”

 

She looks over at him and he meets her smile with his own. “I wouldn’t ever not want you in my life, you know. We’ve been through so much, and Mary Margaret loves you with all her heart… I’d say you were like my brother, but I’d hate to get a reputation involving kissing family. The werewolf stigma is bad enough.”

 

“I’ll take your incestuous tendencies to my grave, I swear.”

 

“I mean it. I missed you. And I’m sorry. Not because you’re Mary Margaret’s husband, because you’re my friend and I hate that I hurt you.”

 

“And I hate that I gave you every reason to,” he sighs, looking back out at the cloudless sky as their horses help themselves to the grass around them. “Regina’s changed. I’m sorry I didn’t want to believe it before. And I can’t imagine your presence not being a positive change for anyone. She’s lucky to have you in her corner.”

 

“Well, it’s not that far from your corner, believe it or not.”

 

“I believe it.” He glances over. “Believe it or not. About that night…”

 

“Really?”

 

“I’m sorry for leaving you,” he continues. “You brought me back to life, got us settled, and then took on all those guards alone. And I hated leaving you.”

 

“You had to. To get Snow.” Ruby runs her hand along her horse’s neck – Regina’s horse. “Besides, you _suck_ at starting fires. Someone had to do it. I thought you farm boys were supposed to be helpful.”

 

She spurs her horse on before he can reply, laughing as he shouts behind her and hurries to catch up. They return to the stables as the sun starts to set and she waits for him to lock up before hopping in the passenger seat of his truck. The ride there had been quiet and long, but now they’re animated again, talking like they used to. He even drops her off at Regina’s without command, despite having picked her up at _Granny’s_.

 

Ruby walks into the house, laughing a little as she hears Henry run up the basement stairs as he becomes aware of her arrival.

 

“Ruby, I need your hair.”

 

“Oh, honey. No. That’s weird.”

 

“No,” he says impatiently as she takes off her jacket. “My mom’s showing me how to make potions. I need your hair for one.”

 

“Well, that’s a more reasonable request then. I think.” She pulls two hairs from her bangs and holds it out to him, raising her eyebrows as he takes them and practically flies down the stairs, earning a reprimand from Regina. She shakes her head and walks into the study, picking up her book from the end table and collapsing on the couch.

 

* * *

  

“Well, if it isn’t the human ultrasound.”

 

Ruby greets Gold with a polite smile for Belle’s sake, even though the other woman’s not here with them.

 

“What can I get for you?”

 

“Coffee will be fine for now,” Gold replies as he awkwardly shifts onto the stool. “Any inkling on the gender, Miss Lucas?”

 

“Unfortunately, the kid’s not talking yet and there’s only so much I can hear.  I’m sure they’ll want to find out as soon as they can.”

 

“How far along is Mrs. Nolan?”

 

“Ten weeks,” Ruby responds uneasily, pouring his coffee and returning the pot to where she got it. She desperately wishes the diner were busier so she could attend to someone else.

 

“I’m sure David is over the moon.”

 

“Here I thought you were the beloved grandfather.”

 

The older man sighs and sips his black coffee and Ruby debates whether or not to pretend she has something else to do. Unfortunately, he speaks before she can.

 

“Not quite as beloved anymore, dearie. But you could help me with that, if you’d like. I’d make it worth your while.”

 

She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “Are you kidding me?”

 

“You’re in a prime position to help me. And I’d very much like my powers back now. They do belong to me, after all.”

 

“Well, you can figure out how to do that on your own,” Ruby says brusquely. “And don’t think I won’t be telling Belle about this little proposition, Gold.”

 

* * *

 

Like clockwork, Mary Margaret balloons out at the beginning of four months. Despite the constant badgering, neither she or David seem at all interested in finding out the gender of the baby, unintentionally creating a topic that won’t go away amongst their friends and family.

 

“Carry high, it’s a guy,” Granny remarks from behind the counter as Ruby runs her hands along the bump. “You knew last time, I bet you know this time.”

 

“I feel like I know,” Mary Margaret replies cryptically, hands resting on top of her stomach. She’s glowing, much like she did the last time she was pregnant.

 

Henry, who has his ear pressed against his grandmother’s stomach, pipes up. “I think he’s a guy.”

 

“Crap,” Ruby mutters after he speaks, glancing at the white gold watch on her wrist. “Henry, we’ve got to get you to the park to meet your mom. I was late last time.”

 

She picks him up by the collar of his shirt and a belt loop on the back of his jeans, carrying him out of the diner, and laughing as he squirms free to race her to her Camaro. When they arrive at the park, Emma is just pulling up, waving at Ruby as Henry darts out to the playground, recognizing two kids from his class.

 

“His clothes – freshly washed. Regina had time this morning.” She hands Emma the duffel bag, helping her slip it over her shoulder. “How are things?”

 

“Good. Mary Margaret and David are getting really excited about the baby. David’s still going to be in the cast for a while, but he likes work at the stables. I think he missed working with animals. The farm kid in him.”

 

Ruby nods and looks out at the playground, squinting so it would look like the Dark Palace she remembers in her dreams. “Henry thinks it’s a boy, so expect a new brother.”

 

“Well, he does have magic in his veins, I wouldn’t rule it out.” Emma shoves her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “So how are things at Regina’s?”

 

“Good.” Ruby looks over at the blonde and smiles. “And she loves when Henry comes over. I’ve never seen her so happy.”

 

“Is there… is there anything I should know about, Ruby?” Emma meets her gaze for a moment but drops it to the ground soon after. “Between you and Regina? I just… with Henry involved, I just wanna know where things stand.”

 

“I…” Ruby knows it’s not fair to keep something from Henry’s mother, like they had done so many times to Regina. She knows letting go of hostilities isn’t going to be as easy as Archie tries to make it seem. “Yes. He doesn’t know. We don’t… do anything around him, if that’s what you want to know.”

 

“It’s not, I know you better than that. And Regina’s pretty practiced at discretion. I just needed to know for sure.”

 

“Does anyone else know?” Ruby asks quietly, looking back out at the playground to watch Henry slowly return to them.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Maybe they suspect something in the back of their heads, but I don’t think anyone’s really considering it.” Emma opens her free arm as Henry arrives, hugging him with one hand and smiling at Ruby. “I’ll see you later.”

 

“See you guys.” She waves and watches them depart, sighing as she returns to her car.

 

* * *

  

Regina has every kind of bath item available – Epsom salts of every scent, oils and bubble baths that were as soothing and as fragrant as perfumes. Ruby feels as if she’s floating in water made up of wildflowers by the time she’s added everything she chooses. She turns the temperature until it’s near scalding, sinking in without a qualm.

 

She’s joined soon after she steps in, Regina walking into the bathroom and leaning back against the sink.

 

“How’s Mary Margaret?”

 

“Big,” Ruby replies dreamily, tired eyes glued shut. “How was your appointment with Archie?”

 

“Probably as riveting as yours usually are.” Ruby laughs, her voice echoing around the room. “I’m glad he takes me Sunday evenings. My weekday appointments always seem to get lost in my mind.”

 

“Too much stress. You should hire more people at City Hall. The town’s in a different position than it used to be, you know.” Regina makes a noise of agreement and Ruby forces herself to open her eyes as she brings up her next topic. “Emma asked about… us today.”

 

“Well.” Regina seems lost in thought for a long time before she finally shrugs and looks down at her nails. “I guess people were bound to figure it out eventually.”

 

“Will it bother you if people know?” Ruby asks.

 

“No. Will it bother you?”

 

“No.”

 

“Good.” Regina looks back over at her again. “We’ll… we’ll have to discuss it with Henry. Maybe Emma should be there too.”

 

“That’s a good idea.”

 

“Could we wait though? A few weeks or…”

 

“Sure.” Ruby looks back down at the foam-covered water she’s submerged in. “Is there a reason why…”

 

“I would just be more comfortable if Mary Margaret were in a more stable condition.”

 

“She’s a few months pregnant, not on her deathbed.”

 

“I know. And I’m sorry if it bothers you, but only a few weeks. Alright?” Ruby nods and Regina takes her exit. “I have a few more things to do in the basement. I’ll see you in a bit.”

 

* * *

 

They’re invited to the loft for a surprise party Mary Margaret plans for Emma’s birthday. Regina and David actually end up in conversation, with her presenting him with a potion that will quicken the setting of his bones, so he can finally free himself of his metal cast, warning him that it was likely to be painful but worth it. Ruby finds herself with Belle, who’s watching Gold with more than curiosity. Whenever Ruby asks her what’s wrong however, she avoids the question.

 

Emma’s thoroughly surprised as she walks through the door with Henry. Granny had stayed at the diner to keep up appearances, but she joins them in time for the cake to be brought out. They gather around the island as they sing and Regina takes the moment to press her front against Ruby’s back, hands swiftly moving over her hips.

 

It’s as deliberate as her lips brushing against the shell of Ruby’s ear as she sings, but more risky considering their company. No eyes are on them however when Emma blows out her candles, Regina stepping away from her as she claps with everyone else. She moves to help Granny cut the cake, fingers glancing across Ruby’s lower back one last time.

 

If Granny weren’t in the building, Ruby wouldn’t have been able to last as long as she did – waiting until they’re out in the cool night air before she takes her revenge on Regina, pushing her back against her black car as kissing her soundly.

 

“You’re such a fucking tease,” she whispers against her crimson lips, hands sifting through her dark hair to guarantee her hold. “It’s gonna get you in trouble some day.”

 

“I don’t mind this kind of trouble,” Regina replies, her own kisses heady and leading and her hands back on Ruby’s hips. If Ruby bothered to look behind her, she would see Mary Margaret standing in the bedroom window of the loft staring down at them. But her mind remains preoccupied until she hears the front door to the apartment finally open again, signaling another exit.

 

* * *

 

They’ve fallen into the habit of actually being domestic, doing favours for one another, stopping in the hallway to kiss before they continue on their way, sitting in silence wrapped up on the couch and reading their respective books. She spends every night in Regina’s room, until it eventually becomes their room, her own scents having moved into every corner of the manor. It makes Ruby happier than she can ever remember being, and the only hit to her buzz is the reminder that she has to keep this all a secret until Regina is ready to discuss it again.

 

They get caught by accident on a Saturday when Henry is staying over. Regina’s son is in the dining room working on a model of a castle for his art class while they stand in the living room, looking through old records.

 

“I love jazz,” Ruby sighs, flipping from Sinatra to Cole.

 

“Now that surprises me.”

 

“It relaxes me. There’s no other genre that can go from heartbreaking to exhilarating like jazz can.” She sets her wine down on shelf, putting the music back in its alphabetized order.

 

Regina pulls out a record from a sleeve, setting it down on the player and moving the needle to the middle of the disc. Ruby leans over and kisses her as a young female voice she doesn’t recognize takes on slow jazz rendition of _The 59 th Street Bridge _by Simon and Garfunkle. It’s both uplifting and mellow, and the voice is sweet and warm.

 

Regina holds out her hand and Ruby accepts, laughing as Regina spins her out and then back into place. They move slowly in a small circle and before Ruby is aware of herself, she’s kissing Regina, forgetting that they were just a head turn away from being spotted by the boy in the dining room.

 

“Why are you kissing my mom?”

 

Ruby jumps back, fumbling with both her words and her body as Regina licks her lower lip and looks down. She’s smoothing out her dress, looking as calm as she does in the bath. “We, um… we do that sometimes?”

 

She would hit herself but Henry’s already on his way over to stand in the threshold, his eyes on his mother.

 

“I hope you’re not upset,” Regina offers, meeting her son’s blue eyes. Ruby has to give Regina credit; she never backs down from a confrontation. “You do already have two moms as it is…”

 

“Do you love her?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Ruby blinks in surprise at Regina’s immediate response, given with no sign of question or hesitation. She says it as if it’s a fact she’s known for a long time.

 

“Okay.” Henry turns and heads back to work on his project. “But I’m not calling Ruby mom. It’s too weird.”

 

* * *

  

Ruby doesn’t broach the subject until later that night, as she’s getting ready for bed. Well, she doesn’t broach it at all; Regina finally just calls her out on the vow of silence she’s taken up since Henry had discovered them.

 

“Are you really not going to say anything?” she asks as she changes into into a pearl coloured slip. She sits on the edge of her bed and begins to apply lotion to her legs, but she keeps her gaze on Ruby.

 

“I don’t know what to say,” Ruby says honestly.

 

“Well, I meant it. You’ve been living here for nearly a year now-”

 

“And that’s how you chose to say it? It wasn’t even directed to me, it was for your son’s benefit.”

 

“It was not,” Regina snaps as she steps around the bed. “Ruby, what did you think this all was? After all this time?” Ruby doesn’t respond, just kicks away her jeans. She doesn’t look at Regina until the woman turns her and presses her back against the dresser. “Do you believe me or don’t you?”

 

Ruby gives her best attempt at hiding her smile as her hands move to Regina’s collar. “Maybe I need some proof.”

 

* * *

 

She’s on laundry duty the next day, Sarah taking over the front as Granny helps the Charmings decorate their nursery, having offered to make the valances, the crib skirt, and anything else they wanted sewn or knitted for their child’s arrival. Ruby would go out to meet Regina as she enters the diner but she can hear her making a direct path to the back room.

 

“Come to help me with the towels?” she asks without turning around.

 

“No,” Regina responds immediately, pressing herself against Ruby’s back.

 

Ruby smiles and continues folding the white towels. “We’re in front of a wall full of windows and two doors that have ancient locks. And I got enough proof last night if that’s what you’re driving at.”

 

“Maybe you did.” Regina’s hand has undone the button of her jeans before Ruby can so much as breathe. It’s slipped below her underwear as Regina’s lips moves to her ear. “But I didn’t.”

 

Ruby tries to remain on alert, to pick up on any voices heading towards them but her mind is lost as Regina’s hand presses against her and her teeth scrape along the soft skin on her neck. Ruby’s hands have slipped to gripping the folding table, Regina’s arm around her torso keeping her from falling over completely.

 

“Regina,” she hisses through gritted teeth, feeling the wood start to crack beneath her hands. Ruby has enough trouble trying stifling groans when Regina’s kissing her in an empty house, but she supposes that this is what Regina wants – she is a tease to the end. “Regina, please.”

 

“Please what?” she asks against Ruby’s ear, hips brushing against her with each thrust of her hand. She slows her movements as Ruby’s whines heighten and her own thrusting becomes erratic. Tease.

 

“I love you,” she breathes desperately, one arm reaching back to take a hold of Regina as she straightens up despite her weakening knees. “Not a lot… right now. Please don’t stop.”

 

When she finishes, Regina allows her to slump forward into the laundry, resting on her elbows as she desperately tries to catch her breath. Ruby can hear her walk to the sink and turn it on.

 

“I’ll see you at dinner.”

 

“See you,” Ruby mumbles numbly as the door opens and then closes. As her heart slows, she finds herself laughing quietly to herself as she straightens again, turning the table around so Granny won’t notice the dented wood. She loves this table.

 

* * *

 

They eventually have Granny over for dinner; something Regina insists is long overdue. They hold it on a Sunday night with clearance from Emma to have Granny drop Henry off on her way home that evening. The four of them are seated around a roast at the dining room table, Henry asking questions about hunting in the other land for a report he has to do for their new class.

 

Granny has just finished regaling them about the joys of skinning animals, which surprisingly enough doesn’t put anyone off their meal, when she turns to Regina.

 

“Did you ever go on a hunt, Your Majesty?”

 

Regina laughs into her wine glass, nodding. “My father only had one child and she was most definitely not a boy. He had to make do with taking me out on royal hunts, far more often than my mother would have preferred.”

 

“What did you hunt with?” Henry asks, his dinner already nearly done despite everyone else only being halfway through.

 

“Bow and arrow until I could hold a crossbow well enough on horseback.”

 

“That’s so cool.”

 

“We used to go out with my father’s steward and squire and two guards who I’d known all my life. They came with us when we moved to the palace.”

 

“Those brothers who own the hardware store.”

 

Regina nods at Granny’s interjection. “They were always great with building shelter. We could go out when it was snowing and be more than comfortable.”

 

“Red could sneak up on any animal by the time she was twelve,” Granny states, glancing towards the girl in question.

 

“Killed my first buck with a knife at twelve,” she nods taking a sip of her wine. “It’s weird how that would scar a kid here. It just meant venison stew for three months back home.”

 

Her remark earns her a laugh from Regina and a fake glare from Granny.

 

“I didn’t hear you complaining.”

 

“I’m not complaining now, I’m just stating a fact. No one could do things with deer like you could, Granny.”

 

“That’s right. I’ve been getting requests, you know, from people who were at the palace. I’ve been telling Charming to do some hunting just for that reason. You should think about going with him.”

 

“I wanna go too,” Henry insists, looking at his mother for approval.

 

“I don’t see a problem with it,” Regina replies.

 

Ruby takes a sip of her wine, an attempt to hide the both surprised and pleased look on her face. Regina always seems to hold her cards close to herself – even Ruby gets blindsided.

 

* * *

  

The hunt is successful, though there is a copious amount of downtime that the two adults get to spend with Henry, helping him with his bow skills and teaching him how to do things like start fires and find water.

 

When they arrive back at the loft, having dropped their spoils at the butcher to be divided up between the families and the diner, Mary Margaret and Emma have dinner ready and they all sit to enjoy it, Henry describing every detail of his weekend the whole time.

 

Ruby helps Mary Margaret with the dishes, waving Emma off to spend time with her son while Charming had insisted on stopping by Granny’s to tell her the news and get dessert. Mary Margaret is unusually quiet, despite Ruby’s attempts to start any conversations.

 

“Is, um… something the matter?” she finally asks as she places the last dish on the drying rack. Mary Margaret opens her mouth to say something, but apparently decides to forget it in favour of grabbing the small plates to get ready for dessert. “Mary Margaret.”

 

“Do you have any idea how idiotic I feel?” Mary Margaret asks quietly, staring down at the drawer where the utensils are. “Thinking you and Regina were just roommates this whole time?”

 

Ruby glances over at the group in the living room, daring to step closer only to startle Mary Margaret into grabbing the forks and slam the drawer shut. She smiles as her daughter’s family looks over quickly before returning to their conversation. The fake grin remains plastered on even as she begins speaking again.

 

“I saw you… god, a month ago and I’ve been waiting to for you to come talk to me about it, but the longer you didn’t the more I couldn’t help think that it must have been going on for way more time than I could have imagined.” She stares at Ruby with empty green  eyes. “Am I the last person to know?”

 

“No, of course not,” the words spill out in a rushed breath that reminds her to keep going. “We haven’t… it’s just, it’s difficult to talk about…”

 

“Who all knows?” Mary Margaret demands.

 

“Henry. And Archie and Whale. Emma…”

 

“Great, now my own daughter is keeping secrets from me. That’s wonderful.” She looks over at the woman in question, a glower on her face until she turns to pull the ice cream out of the freezer. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“You know why,” Ruby insists quietly, looking down.

 

Mary Margaret sighs but doesn’t reply as David arrives with their dessert, strawberry rhubarb pie. She dishes out the servings in silence, sighing again when Ruby waves a plate away.

 

“I’m sorry,” she finally admits as she stands at the counter with her, everyone else having taken a spot on the couch or a chair. “I’m sorry I’ve pushed you away so much that you think I can’t handle to hear about news in your life without freaking out.”

 

“There are bigger reasons behind it, and we both know it. But I… want to be with her. And I don’t want to lose you.”

 

“Ruby, you killed your own mother to save me. You’re never going to lose me.” Mary Margaret’s tone borders on hurt and it makes Ruby feel worse. “I’m sorry if you felt like you would.”

 

“Enough apologizing already,” Ruby insists, nudging Mary Margaret with her shoulder and stealing her fork away for a bite. “We’re here and we’re happy and you’ve got a baby on the way. So spill it, you know what it is already.”

 

Mary Margaret rubs her ballooning stomach and laughs quietly. “It feels like a prince to me.”

 

“David will be thrilled,” Ruby replies with a smile, reaching over to place her hand on the other woman’s bump as well. “So will Henry.”

 

“Henry will be disappointed that he can’t play with him until he’s old enough, and by then he’ll be interested in girls, not little cousins. Or little uncles.”

 

“Don’t talk like that around his moms, they will be none-to-pleased to hear that scenario.”

 

* * *

 

For the first time in a year, she braves going down to the basement, eyes watering at the different pungent smells that come from the different beakers. Regina glances over, adjusting the heat under one before she turns around to greet her.

 

“I thought you’d never come down here.”

 

“Wanted to see what all the fuss is about.” She takes notice of a small rack on the far wall, filled with different glowing vials. One is empty, save for a single hair. “What’s this going to be?”

 

“Want to find out?” Ruby nods, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she watches Regina pluck a hair from her head before she drops it in the vial. Her hazel eyes widen as she watches Regina spin it slowly in a clockwise motion, a luminous purple liquid replacing the two hairs in less than half a minute.

 

“What is it?” she asks reaching for the vial, only to have Regina pull it from her reach, a few drops trickling down the side of the glass and down her fingers. “See, you can’t be trusted with it, give it here I want to see.”

 

Regina laughs and relents, handing it over and rubbing her hands together. “It’s something special.”

 

“What does it do?” Ruby asks as she holds it up to the lights.

 

“I don’t know, actually.”

 

“You’ve never made it before?” Regina shakes her head, leaning back against the table only to jump forward with a gasp as Ruby brings it to her lips.

 

“Ruby, don’t-”

 

“Too late,” she coughs after drinking the entire contents in one gulp. There’s a pleasant buzz running through her veins immediately, and she feels warm, as if she was standing in the sun in July. “It tastes like grapes. I expected that, but for some reason I was hoping for something else.”

 

“Quit joking around,” Regina presses the back of her hand to Ruby’s face and forehead, looking her over for any signs of change. “How do you feel?”

 

Ruby laughs and grasps Regina’s worried face in her hands. “Fine. Happy. Elated. Maybe you found the magical equivalent to ecstasy,” she laughs, kissing Regina soundly as she slips her arms around her shoulders and pulls her closer. “I love you.”

 

Regina smiles and relaxes, returning the kisses in kind. Her hand slips up Ruby’s thigh underneath her dress, and it’s like a current goes through Ruby’s whole body. She pulls away, resting her forehead against Regina’s, gasping against her lips. “I love you too.”


	6. Part Six

“Ruby,” Regina gasps as the aforementioned girl’s hand moves up her stomach. For fun she turns her neck briefly and bites down on the soft flesh on the inside of Regina’s thigh, leaving a mark that will bruise for days before she pivots her head returns to position, one arm wrapped securely around Regina’s leg. “ _Ruby_.”

 

This is the smell she’s come to love, sweat and sex surrounded by their own scents. It’s almost as addicting as the rising gasps that break into a moan as Regina comes apart around her.

 

She laughs as Ruby kisses the bite mark before she continues up her jittering body to her mouth, pushing the brunette’s head away as she tries to catch her breath. “You’re making me feel old.”

 

“I’m just waking you up.”

 

“Every morning at dawn.”

 

“Can’t help it. I have all this extra energy this week. Think it has something to do with that wolf thing?” Ruby laughs again as Regina pushes her head away once more, relenting so she can rest it on the pillow next to Regina’s. “Maybe that ecstasy potion’s still working its way out.”

 

“After a month, I’d like to think it’s worn off by now. Whatever it did to you.” Regina’s sifts a hand through Ruby’s hair. “Sleep. Please, for the love of god, give me an hour before I have to go into the day I’m facing.”

 

“Poor Miss Mayor has a photo op.”

 

“Poor Miss Mayor has bags under her eyes because Miss Lucas won’t let her sleep.”

 

“Well, if you’re gonna complain…”

 

Regina turns to face her, kissing her slowly and dragging her teeth over Ruby’s lower lip as she slides on top of her, making Ruby’s stomach flutter in a way she’s never felt before. “Can’t have you getting a complex, can we?”

 

* * *

 

“Alright, keep your left arm straight,” Ruby reminds, fixing the position herself before standing behind Henry. “Take a deep breath and take your aim. Now slowly let the air out as you let go of the arrow.”

 

The arrow flies across the small area to lodge itself in the tree, just shy of the cardboard target she had stuck to the tree the first time they came out. Henry groans but Ruby just laughs, shaking his shoulders.

 

“You’re getting better.”

 

“If that had been a person, I would have missed.”

 

“Which is probably a good thing, don’t you think?”

 

“You know what I mean,” he sighs readying his bow with another arrow stuck in the ground by his feet.

 

“That’s why you have to practice, Henry,” the voice comes from behind them and just as Ruby pulls the boy closer to her Gold steps out from the trees. She hadn’t heard him, hadn’t even smelled him – Ruby has no idea how this man does this little trick, but it drives her insane. “Good afternoon, Miss Lucas.”

 

“Did you follow us here?” she asks, her hand still on Henry’s shoulder.

 

“Of course not,” the man replies with a smile. “I walk through the woods every day.” His eyes squint and his grin turns sarcastic. “You can double check with Belle if you need to.”

 

“Well, you have a lot of square footage to cover. You should probably be on your way.” Henry is statue still underneath her fingers but she can hear his heartbeat going at a regular pace despite the tense attitude.

 

“You’re quite right. If I may, though, I would like to propose–”

 

“No deal.”

 

Gold laughs and gives them a parting look before turning to head back through the forest.  “Well, I can’t say I didn’t try, can I?”

 

Ruby waits until the sound of limping footsteps disappear before she deflates and lets her grasp on Henry go.

 

“What was that about?” he asks as he tosses the arrow in his hand so it sticks in the ground like the rest, walking over to retrieve the one lodged in the tree.

 

“Nothing. I don’t know. I’m sorry; I know he’s your grandfather. He just puts me on edge.”

 

“What was he going to ask you?”

 

“I’d rather not know.”

 

* * *

 

Adam Nolan is born on a drizzly Saturday morning, a small crowd in the waiting room at the hospital to greet his arrival. Regina comes when Henry and Ruby insist on going to the hospital, her hand sifting through her son's hair as Whale comes out with the news.

 

Mary Margaret looks tired but happy when they walk in, Regina hanging at the back of the room with Whale as the squirming baby is passed to its father from the nurse. He has a shock of black hair on his head, deep baby blue eyes, and David’s chin. Ruby stays the rest of the day, sitting in a chair next to the bed, David at her side.

 

She never had the chance to hold Emma, but Adam sits calmly in her arms, swaddled in the blue blanket Granny had knitted.

 

* * *

 

“He’s beautiful.”

 

“He is,” Regina agrees with a small nod, her eyes already closed and her forehead pressed against Ruby’s chin. “It makes me miss Henry at that squirmy baby age.”

 

“When he was a little less opinionated?”

 

“Like there was ever a time when that boy wasn’t opinionated.”

 

“Well, who’s to blame for that?”

 

“I’m going with the genes, personally.”

 

* * *

 

The first week Mary Margaret can get free from her demanding newborn, she asks for a girls' night. Before they even find a table, she walks to the counter and orders shots, asking Ruby on the correct protocols when it comes to tequila.

 

“Oh my god,” Mary Margaret grimaces after biting into her lime wedge. “There’s a reason I went thirty years without ordering this. But it’s almost been nine months and I need more.”

 

“One more of those and you’re going to be crying louder than Adam tomorrow,” Regina points out, the disgusted look on her face giving way as she tosses her own lime. She glances at Ruby, whose face is white even under the neon lights. “Or maybe this one will.”

 

“Shut up,” she replies holding her hand up to wave the waiter over, faltering a little as a wave of nausea hits her. Five sets of eyes give her a simultaneous look. “What? It’s just been awhile.”

 

Thankfully the conversation starts to pick up after she asks for a round of cosmos, a drink much more happily welcomed by the girls at the table. But as soon as the red liquid touches her lips her stomach turns again, Regina giving her a discreet look as she watches Ruby grip the edge of the table.

 

Before the next round is ordered, Regina swaps their drinks without anyone noticing, doing the same with their next ones as Ruby’s face turns the same colour green as the drinks Ashley gets for them.

 

Mary Margaret insists through the night that they have to make it through every person’s drink order, but by the time they make it to Emma, she and Regina have the same flush on their cheeks. Emma helps her mother walk out of the bar, Ruby watching Regina to make sure she isn’t in the same state.

 

“Here I thought you were seasoned drink–” Before Regina can finish her sentence Ruby pushes past her into the house and speeds up the stairs. By the time the older woman finds her in the bathroom, her stomach is empty and she’s panting on the floor. Regina kneels next to Ruby, pushing her hair back from her sweaty forehead. “Are you okay?”

 

“Tequila,” the shapeshifter mumbles, the very word making her feel queasy again as she remembers the dry flavour and burning down her throat, “I think Ruby might have had one too many bad nights because of it.”

 

“Do you want something to eat?” Her question is answered as Ruby leans back over the toilet to dry heave. “Maybe just some water.”

 

* * *

 

Ruby feels fine by the next day, but loses her taste for alcohol for the time being. Every whiff at the diner has her head spinning and her nightly wine ration is suspended as Regina’s good bottles repeatedly go to waste on her.

 

“This is imported,” Whale insists, pushing the tumbler to Ruby across his desk.

 

“It’ll make me sick.”

 

“Since when?”

 

“Since Ruby’s sense memory decided to kick in after a shot of Patron.” She laughs as Whale shrugs and pours the glass into his own. “Please, don’t let me ruin your party.”

 

“I wouldn’t let anyone ruin my party. Unless your girlfriend is ready, willing, and able,” the blonde man replies, raising his eyebrows at her confused look. “What?”

 

“I’ve just never thought about… labels when it comes to Regina.”

 

“What would you prefer? Partner? Lesbian lover? Fellow muff–” Whale laughs as the stapler hurtles past him. “Just Regina then?”

 

“Just Regina.”

 

* * *

 

“I really wish you two would get along a little better,” Belle admonishes over their Wednesday lunch, “I don’t know what to do about it anymore. He tries, you know. In his way.”

 

“I’m sorry. Really. I literally know exactly how you feel and it makes me look like a hypocrite.” Ruby’s foot bounces at the sound of frying meats in the kitchen. She wishes there was a full moon tonight because the raw meat cravings are strong this month and she knows she’ll get sick if she eats anything that isn’t cooked through. “But he can’t… be asking for his powers. Also, I have no idea how to arrange that, so it’s really a moot point.”

 

“He thinks you can convince Regina to give him some potions or something, I really don’t know. He doesn’t like to talk about it and I hate hearing it.” Belle smiles as Granny arrives with their food. “I thought this sobering up thing would work.”

 

“Not everyone takes well to the cold turkey method,” Granny comments, glancing around to make sure her customers had all been attended to. “Not that there really was any other way for it to be the way things went down.”

 

“I don’t know what he’s thinking. He won’t… I hope no one’s still worried about him after all this time.” Ruby gives a tight smile in response but it goes unnoticed. “I mean, Regina’s had her powers this whole time and she hasn’t done anything but be productive and helpful.”

 

“That’s true,” Granny replies, shooting her granddaughter a glare. “Isn’t it, Ruby?”

 

“Entirely,” she replies tiredly.

 

She leaves them as Regina enters the diner, smiling at Ruby before she walks to the counter.

 

“She can sit with us, she knows that, right?” Belle asks.

 

“She’s not afraid of you, if that’s what you’re asking. She’s working through lunch.” She nods to Regina’s retreating form, a container and a coffee cup in her hands. “Someone has to keep this city going.”

 

Belle smiles and takes a sip of her iced tea. “I’m glad you’re happy. If there’s anyone who deserves it, it’s you. After all this time, I’m really happy for you.”

 

“Thanks,” she replies with a genuine smile. “I couldn’t have been happy if my friends weren’t.”

 

“Time heals all wounds,” the other girl replies.

 

“You never held onto that resentment with Regina. Why? I mean, I’m totally happy you didn’t of course, but I always wondered why.”

 

Belle shrugs. “I guess… I see her and Gold in the same light. They were the way they were because they didn’t feel loved. They lost it all. It’s hard to look down on someone for that.”

 

* * *

 

The bath is steaming behind her, and for whatever reason, the warmth seems to keep the wine down for the first time in months. Regina’s in the tub, like a normal person, head rolled back over the lip at the end.

 

“Tell me about your father.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because that’s what people do when they’ve been living together for a year. Or a month. Or a week.” Ruby turns her head to look over at Regina’s closed eyes. “I didn’t know mine, so there’s that.”

 

“I’m sorry. That you grew up without your parents.”

 

“Well, with our particular genetic traits, not a lot of our people last that long. I never felt like I missed out, though. I mean, I didn’t know my parents, so how could I miss them? I had Granny.”

 

“But you did meet your mother.”

 

“For half a day. And then I killed her.”

 

“To save Snow.”

 

“And I’d do it again,” Ruby says simply, meaning every word.

 

Regina is silent in the tub, the occasional move of the water the only sound for a long time. “I loved my father. More than anything. He… wasn’t perfect, but he loved me and I loved him.”

 

“What happened to him?” Ruby asks.

 

“I killed him.” The way Regina’s voice sounds, so hollow and quiet, Ruby knows that her particular form of parental murder didn’t have the warm, happy ending that hers ended up becoming. Which, when she thinks about it, is probably how it _should_ be.

 

“I’m sorry. That you had – Jesus Christ,” she’s at the toilet in a second, both her dinner and the wine leaving her system.

 

“Ruby, you have to go to a doctor about this,” Regina sighs, her morose attitude lifting as she steps out of the bathtub, a towel wrapped around her as she approaches Ruby, running a damp hand up her back. “I’m pretty sure you don’t have a sudden allergy to alcohol.”

 

“Well, at least I have a theory,” she mumbles in return. “What’s yours?”

 

* * *

 

“That’s definitely not a real thing.”

 

“You don’t know that, you’re not even a real doctor.”

 

“You’re thinking of Hopper, I actually had some medical experience in my life if you recall.” He takes a sip of the milkshake she had brought for him, this time providing a meal for their lunch date. “So, it’s only alcohol?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You feel fine otherwise?” Ruby nods. “You’re not stressed or not sleeping well?” Ruby shakes her head. “Well, hell if I know. Maybe there’s an allergen in certain beverages that you’ve suddenly become resistant against.”

 

“You’re so hilarious.”

 

He laughs and steals one of her untouched french fries. “I don’t know, Rubes. We could do some blood work, but if this started after drinking some mysterious unknown potion, I’m the wrong man to go to.”

 

* * *

 

Ruby leaves with her veins untapped (because all that wolf blood apparently doesn’t save her from a fear of needles), soon finding her walk pleasantly interrupted by the arrival of Mary Margaret and a stroller. The unusually warm afternoon is a brief respite from the chilly November days that had settled on them.

 

“I’d say you have the flu… but if your condition was a real thing, I’m pretty sure it’d be patented here.”

 

“Awh, your mommy is stating facts, Adam. Isn’t that helpful?” she asks as she leans over the handlebar to adjust the blanket his legs have restlessly kicked away. Mary Margaret returns her comment with a flick to Ruby’s temple, earning her a laugh. “Careful, that’s one step closer to being Granny, grandma.”

 

“I’m trying to lose some baby weight here, quit giving me a hard time.” Ruby swoops down to press a kiss to Mary Margaret’s cheek as they turn onto Main Street. “So Regina discovered the cure for alcoholism?”

 

“Let’s see one of your fourth graders top that.”

 

“Be quiet.” Mary Margaret stops suddenly in her tracks and Ruby has to back up to meet her.

 

“What? Something wrong? Is Adam’s long lost twin making its debut?” Mary Margaret shakes her head and gives a small smile in return, clearly working something over in her brain. “What?”

 

* * *

 

“Regina’s not exactly hiding some dark secret if this is what you’re getting at,” Ruby says drolly as Mary Margaret presses the test into her hands. “You know she was married to your father, right? I think he would have mentioned it if something was a little different about his new wife.”

 

“Well, if you’re too big a baby, no offense beloved son,” she adds to the sleeping baby in the stroller, “to get a tiny needle poked into your arm, then you can pee on a stick and rule out the impossible.”

 

“This is ridiculous,” she tries again, only to be pushed back into Regina’s powder room to do the deed. She tosses the test onto the counter with little interest and washes her hands, until all of a sudden her knees give out and she collapses on the floor. She can feel the tears burning down her cheeks before she can so much as take in a ragged breath, her gasps echoing in the small room.

 

“Ruby?” Mary Margaret asks breathlessly and she pushes open the door, her face contorted in fear. She drops to the floor, her hands around Ruby’s back, pulling her crying face to her shoulder. “Ruby, it’s only been like thirty seconds…”

 

“No,” Ruby sobs shaking her head again and again. “No. No, no, no, no…”

 

Her voice breaks off as Mary Margaret shushes her, whispering reassuring things Ruby can’t hear. She does hear the front door open, but she’s paralyzed in spot even as Regina arrives at the threshold, bewildered at the scene in front of her. Regina is silent though, and when Ruby can finally manage to look up through watery eyes, she sees Regina frozen in spot, staring at the test. Ruby doesn’t need to see the plus sign.

 

* * *

 

“Why in the hell would you let her drink a potion if you had no idea what the goddamn side-effects were?” Granny accuses across the counter in the closed diner. They’re gathered with the Charming brood, Ruby sitting numbly in a chair next to Mary Margaret at a table in the middle of everybody.

 

“I would _never_ do that,” Regina hisses back. “Never, not to someone I love.”

 

“Really? Because if I recall, you’ve done this kind of thing many–”

 

“ _Granny_ ,” Ruby snaps from the table, startling the room with her first outbreak since that afternoon. Granny sets her jaw but says nothing. From behind her she hears David speak up.

 

“It’s definitely not Whale’s?” Ruby’s never seen such an icy glare from Regina or her grandmother, which is relatively impressive all things considered, and they immediately have David backtracking. “You just got a girl pregnant somehow, do you think we could rule out the things we need to in this situation?”

 

“It’s not Whale’s,” Ruby says, staring down at the tabletop. “And I’m not having it.”

 

She can feel every gaze on her, the silence becoming more palpable than the tension in the room. They’re waiting for her to recant or continue, she knows it, but she doesn’t. She can’t. To her left Mary Margaret runs a hand across her shoulder, telling her that it’ll be okay.

 

“We’ll figure something out,” Emma tries in vain before Ruby bolts from her seat, pushing through the door and running to the forest before she can hear the protests from the people in the room.

 

* * *

 

Regina’s still awake when she arrives at the house, dressed in a new outfit for the new day with yesterday’s tired look still on her face. She’s sitting in the living room when Ruby enters; staring at the empty box the test came in that she’s placed on the coffee table. She doesn’t look up at Ruby’s arrival, but her arm slides around Ruby’s back before she even sits down.

 

“I can’t have it,” she says quietly, her head falling to Regina’s shoulder. “I can’t make something that will turn out like me.”

 

Regina, to her credit, at least tries to keep her tone neutral. “I know, Ruby.”

 

* * *

 

“Well,” Gold starts from behind his counter, “this certainly isn’t a problem I’ve run into before.”

 

“Why are we even here?” Emma asks from the back of the shop, standing next to a brooding Granny. “Can’t we just take Ruby to a clinic? Or Whale?”

 

“No,” Regina replies with an exhausted voice. “Magic and all that goddamn nonsense.”

 

“Our lovely mayor is correct. The only thing that will help Miss Lucas will be another potion.” Gold gives them a fake reassuring smile. “One, I can make.”

 

“We could probably stop talking about Ruby like she’s not here,” Belle states from Ruby’s side, throwing her boyfriend an equally fake smile.

 

“Of course. I apologize, Ruby.”

 

“I don’t want apologies I just want this thing out of me,” Ruby replies to her feet.

 

She causes another awkward silence, this time the patriarch of the Charming family stepping in to fill the void. “Gold, just make the damn potion.”

 

“You may recall that I’m not quite known for doing things for charity,” Gold says, both of his hands resting on top of the cane he carries. “Unless all that rolling in the hay with your wife has clouded your memory.”

 

“I can’t give you what you want,” Regina replies tiredly, cutting off David’s reply before it begins.

 

“I wasn’t aware of your ability to read minds, Madam Mayor.”

 

“Oh, enough with the pissing contest already,” Emma fumes as she steps forward to the counter. “That girl over there,” she points to Ruby, “needs help. And for whatever reason, someone is twisted enough to make you the man with the cure.”

 

“I wouldn’t quite call it a cure now, would you?” Emma’s hand hits his cheek in the same breath that has her other grabbing his collar. Gold’s nostrils flare and Ruby’s pretty sure none of them have been more glad that he doesn’t have his powers as they are now, though neither Regina nor Charming try to hide the satisfaction on their faces. “I believe I have grounds for police brutality.”

 

“That girl needs help,” Emma throws back, “and, by law, I am here to ensure that she gets that help. You are standing in the way of it. Obstruction of justice. Wasn’t that easy?”

 

Gold pulls himself from Emma’s grasp, visibly calming and taking a breath as Belle leaves from her spot to walk behind the counter with him. “As I’ve said many times, my help comes with a cost.”

 

“And what exactly is that?” Mary Margaret asks, her hand linked with Ruby’s.

 

“Well, as I lack the power for many of the potions I wish to create,” his eyes turn to meet Regina’s, “I will require the father’s help with them.”

 

Ruby lunges at him, the glass counter breaking underneath her impact as she slams against it, the man’s neck between her very capable fingers. Her nails dig into Gold’s throat, she can feel his raised heartbeat under her palm, and there’s nothing she wants to do more right now than squeeze until she can’t anymore.

 

“Ruby,” Regina begins, her voice cautious and controlled. “Don’t.”

 

She doesn’t, but she throws him back against the wall of cabinets despite Mary Margaret and Belle’s own pleas. Ruby leaves without another word, blowing through the front door and walking briskly down the street. She’s sitting on the front step when Regina pulls up.

 

“When is he coming over?”

 

“Sometime this week,” she replies as she reaches her.

 

“I don’t want to be here.”

 

“Of course.” Regina sits next to her, taking a deep breath. Ruby can feel her gaze when she turns her head, but she doesn’t look, only accepts the waiting hand the other woman offers. “Let’s go inside, Ruby. You need to sleep. I’ll run you a bath–”

 

“I’m sorry, Regina,” she whispers, her face crumbling into tears again. “I’m so, so sorry.”

 

“What on Earth are you apologizing for? Because if you say it’s for the Gold thing, I might be slightly offended.” She squeezes Ruby’s hand as the girl reaches up with her free hand to brush the tears off her cheeks. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

 

“I shouldn’t have–”

 

“You couldn’t have known, Ruby. You’ll move on. We will. Your friends and family.”

 

“What was it, Regina?” she asks as she meets her gaze.

 

Regina gives her a small sad smile, turning her head to look back out at the street. “It was… us, I guess.” She turns back to look at her. “I do love you, you know?”

 

“I know,” Ruby responds, squeezing her hand weakly in return. “I love you, too.”

 

* * *

 

“Your fears are perfectly valid, Ruby. Every parent–”

 

“Don’t,” Ruby starts, “Don’t use that word.”

 

“Of course, I apologize,” Archie says genuinely, “that was insensitive. But there are few people out there who aren’t worried about certain genes they could pass on to their children.”

 

“I think mine kind of beats out the thin hair gene.”

 

“What about the genes that could pass on depression or bipolar? Or the biology that could be behind why sociopaths are the way they are? Their parents certainly wouldn’t wish that life on their offspring, but when two different people create a child and a problem occurs, the outcome doesn’t have to spiral out of control.” Archie adjusts his glasses. “Don’t you think your perception on your condition would be different if you had known about it? If you had learned to control it at a young age?”

 

Ruby doesn’t respond, just scratches Pongo behind his ears when het lets out a whine. Archie sighs from across the room.

 

“Are you worried about the judgment you might receive for your choice?”

 

“No,” Ruby says quietly.

 

“You’re not having any moral conflicts about your decision to not keep it?”

 

“It’s a monster, Archie, it’s not a normal baby. It would put all of us in jeopardy, and not just because a child might turn into a wolf in front of the wrong person. It would grow up in this town hurting the people who love it.”

 

“Like you did.”

 

“I killed my boyfriend and ate him, Hopper. I know what this kid has in store.” Ruby shifts as Pongo looks up at her, feeling uneasy about the canine’s stare. She always thought it was cats who were judgmental animals. “And I don’t love it.”

 

“Yet you learned to control your state easily once you had help,” he sidesteps in return.

 

“I don’t want to talk about that.”

 

“You don’t have to,” Archie replies with a reassuring gaze, “but I’d like you to think about it.”

 

* * *

 

Regina tells Ruby she’s taking Thursday off and Ruby doesn’t need to be told twice. She doesn’t work; she hasn’t since she found out, so she just sits at the diner all day, switching from peppermint tea and water as it suits her. Mary Margaret comes in at eleven, sliding into the booth next to her, ordering the same tea and pulling out a book. When Ruby’s cup starts to clatter against the plate it’s on she reaches forward to grab her hand and calm her, remaining silent because she knows Ruby well enough to not try to say anything now.

 

“You practically carried me through that forest,” Ruby whispers as the clock hits two. Mary Margaret jumps a little at the sound of her voice, but closes her book calmly. “You knew me for, what? Two days? You took care of me even after you saw what I was.”

 

“If I hadn’t snuck into your grandmother’s chicken coop I wouldn’t be alive right now.” Mary Margaret looks down at her own cup. “Sometimes… especially in this past year, it’s like you’ve forgotten how much you’ve done for me, for my family.”

 

“I’d still be killing people, innocent people. What kind of monster hunts so indiscriminately? What kills its own friends and family without even knowing it?”

 

“Who would kill their own mother, their long lost mother at that, to save a friend they just met?” Mary Margaret asks in reply, grabbing Ruby’s chin to make her look. “I can’t imagine a world without you.”

 

She can smell it before she catches Regina’s own scent, a disgusting aroma that has her gripping the table to keep what little is in her stomach down. Regina slides onto the bench across from them when she arrives, waving off the waitress before she even picks up a menu.

 

“Give it to me,” Ruby demands the second she can find her voice. Regina doesn’t hesitate but she takes a moment before pulling the vial out of her pocket and placing it on the table. The mist inside is a dark gray, sparks of black shooting out into the haze every now and then. All Ruby can think about is how the last time she saw a potion it was purple and tasted like grapes. “It smells like death.”

 

Neither of the two women sitting with her respond until she reaches for it, Mary Margaret’s hand covering her own as she takes hold of the glass. Before she can say something, her best friend cuts her off.

 

“Wait a week. Not for… you don’t have to worry about it now, so you can relax–”

 

“I will not be able to relax while this thing is inside me.”

 

“She’s right,” Regina states, eyes glued to the vial on the table. “You’re in no condition to take anything.”

 

* * *

 

Ruby can’t relax and Regina seems to take to her eating and sleeping habits, with neither of them doing much of either. Regina doesn’t say much, doesn’t do much. If it weren’t for work, Ruby wasn’t sure if Regina would move from her spot on the couch, where she sits and stares at the fire all night. They spend Thursday and Friday evening at the Inn, not sleeping while Regina airs out the basement so the smell won't be there when Ruby returns. Regina sees Henry on her own rather than take him for the weekend, surely making an excuse for Ruby’s absence in the last few weeks.

 

It’s not until Wednesday when Regina returns home that she sees it again, the vial in her possession once more; pulled out of whatever hiding spot it had remained in during the week. She places it on the counter in their en suite without mention, throwing a towel at the base of the door in an attempt to keep the scent out of their room.

 

“You don’t have to do that,” Ruby says quietly from the bed, covers pulled up to her waist. Regina shrugs and joins her, turning off the lights first. She slips her hand into Ruby’s as she settles in under the blankets. Ruby feels it then, her stomach turning, the hand clasped with Regina’s moving to her abdomen.

 

“Do you feel sick?” Regina asks as she sits up and pivots towards her, free hand brushing the hair back from Ruby’s face as she watches with concerned eyes as Ruby’s breaths come in desperate gulps of air, her whole body seeming to vibrate. “Ruby, what’s wrong?”

 

Ruby shakes her head now with both hands on her stomach, one still locked with Regina’s. “It’s moving.”

 

Regina looks at her cautiously for a moment before untangling her hand to press it directly against Ruby, smoothing out the fabric of her shirt, and Ruby feels it again. She’s about to speak when Ruby interrupts her, looking down at their hands on her body.

 

“It’s okay,” she whispers, the words directed to her stomach coming out in small, jittering bursts while the thumb on her left hand moves back and forth slowly despite her shivering frame. “I can feel you in there. It’ll be okay.”

 

They still don’t get any rest but the vial and its contents disappear before the morning arrives and Ruby never sees or thinks about it again.


	7. Part Seven

“Well, from what I can see, you have a perfectly healthy three month old fetus here. Strong heartbeat and,” the ultrasound technician moves the wand, “if you look here, you can see the head.”

 

“Look at that little face,” Whale says from behind Ruby, who is laying back and staring at the screen in wonder. “So everything looks good?”

 

“Well, you could stand to put on a little weight,” she replies from her chair, putting a little more gel on Ruby’s stomach, “the baby would more than appreciate it, but it seems to be a normal height, the arms and legs are perfectly formed. Have you already felt it kick?”

 

“I’ve felt it moving. I think it had hiccups the other day. Is that something to be worried about?” Ruby asks, still looking at the black and white images on the screen as the ultrasound makes out the baby’s form.

 

“Perfectly normal, you’re little buddy is just testing out those lungs and trying out breathing.”

 

“There’s no mutations at all? Because I have… changed when I didn’t know.”

 

“Well, I can’t say I’ve ever treated any kind of shapeshifter before, but they were born in spades back home with no problem – you yourself being a perfect example of that. It doesn’t seem to hurt the fetus in any way.” The technician stands up with a smile and wipes her stomach clean. “We’ll be able to tell the gender in a few more weeks, but we’ll schedule you for another ultrasound before then. And I will print you out some pictures.”

 

She leaves the three of them in the room and Ruby sits up, swinging her legs over the edge of her seat. Regina’s hand is still holding hers, a small smile on her face.

 

“All good news,” Whale says, stepping forward from his spot leaning against the wall. He presses a kiss to each of their cheeks. “Congratulations on your weird magic baby.”

 

He leaves with a smile and Ruby steps off the bed, Regina helping her into her coat. Ruby shakes her head, swallowing the small swell of emotion in her throat.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

“It’s okay,” Regina responds grasping Ruby’s face and pulling her head close to kiss her. “But we have to fatten you up. And maybe get some sleep. It’s been about two and a half weeks now.”

 

“And have sex. I miss sex.”

 

Regina laughs and lets go of her face as the technician walks back in with their pictures.

 

* * *

  

“I’m so happy for you. You know, if you’re happy, I don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you to–”

 

“Mary Margaret. You don’t have to worry about it.”

 

“Well, if this your choice–”

 

“Mary Margaret,” Ruby says, reaching across the table to grab her hand, “just be happy and shut up about the rest.”

 

Mary Margaret laughs and shakes her head. “I’m gonna be an aunt.”

 

“Congratulations?”

 

“You’re going to be a _mom_ ,” she says with a smile so wide Ruby’s sure it must hurt. “You’re going to such a good mother, Ruby. You are.”

 

“That remains to be seen,” Ruby replies, looking at the sleeping baby in the stroller next to their booth. “I’m still so worried about changing. I’m worried about going on runs.”

 

“Well, a, Granny told you it was fine, and b, that’s not going to be an issue for long. You’ll be waddling same as me come five months.”

 

“That’s so reassuring, thank you so much, dearest friend.”

 

“You don’t get to bitch, you haven’t had any morning sickness. Or night sickness. Or day sickness. I was lucky this one got any nourishment at all, really.” She reaches over to run her hand over the mass of dark hair on her son’s head.

 

“God, he looks like his dad,” Ruby states.

 

“I know, it weirds me out sometimes.” She smiles as Adam kicks in his sleep, his small hands occasionally flexing. “So when are you going to tell Henry?”

 

“This weekend. I feel bad about it, keeping him in the dark. I think Regina wants to get at least a few days rest because she expects a bad reaction.”

 

“She must be so happy, though.”

 

“She is. I almost think she tries not to show it a lot because she thinks I’ll realize she would have been devastated if I hadn’t gone through with it.” Ruby takes a sip of her water a sighs. “I miss caffeine. And wine. God, I miss wine.”

 

“Half a year, you baby.”

 

“Seems like a lifetime.” She shifts and her hand goes to her stomach, the one that is definitely starting to swell much to her chagrin. “It keeps hiccupping. Wakes me up at night.”

  
  
“Just wait for the kicks. Beckham over here would start every morning at four and go until David left for work.”

 

“So daddy issues begin in the womb then?”

 

“The medical breakthrough of the century.”

 

* * *

 

They’re sitting in the living room, eating dessert at the coffee table while they took their seat on the floor. The fire and hot chocolate combined with the light dusting of snow outside is their welcome to December.

 

“Real or plastic tree?” Ruby asks, running the bite of pie she’s already scooped up through the dollop of whipped cream on top.

 

“Real,” both of the Mills reply.

 

Ruby laughs and moves to sit on her knees so she can reach her hot chocolate.

 

“Santa, real or not?”

 

“Graham ruined it for me by accident,” Henry says, his own plate already clean.

 

“ _That_ was a fun December,” Regina mumbles into her mug. She glances at Ruby and they share a look, then she clears her throat and looks at her son. “Henry, we have something to tell you.”

 

 “Okay…”

 

Ruby takes a small breath as Regina searches for the words. “I’m… going be to having a baby. There was, um, this potion that your mom made and I drank it because I’m an idiot and it ended up–”

 

Henry springs up from his spot, throwing himself around Ruby. “I’m going to have a brother.”

 

Ruby laughs, wrapping her arms around the boy, smiling a little at the touched look on Regina’s face from across the table. “Or a sister,” Regina adds.

 

“When are you going to know? Is it kicking?” He drops to the ground so he can press a hand to the barely protruding stomach.

 

“Well I can feel it moving, but your mother hasn’t had any luck.”

 

“You’re happy then?” Regina asks.

 

“Of course I am. Will it be a werewolf too?”

 

“Well, we won’t find that out for quite a while,” Ruby replies as her hand rests on Henry’s head. “But if it turns out to be anything like it’s big brother, I’ll be happy.”

 

“Does this mean you’re going to stop showing me how to hunt and track?”

 

“Nah, we can still go out. I just might be a little slower in the next few months.”

 

* * *

  

Each full moon passes painfully slow for Ruby, despite Granny’s insistence that she just change and enjoy herself while she is still small enough to be able to run as the wolf. She doesn’t though, she’s far too paranoid, but the winter weather combined with Whale’s insistence that she start to relax more has her crawling up the walls.

 

Regina remains eerily calm, even when Ruby starts pacing back and forth across their bedroom.

 

“You’re working yourself up,” she comments from the bed, “not calming yourself down.”

 

“I feel like my skin is crawling.”

 

“Well, that’s enough crystal meth for you.”

 

“You’re not helping.”

 

Regina takes a breath and sets down her book. “Come here. Come _here_ ,” she demands until Ruby joins her on the bed, laying on her back so Regina can take her favourite position pressed against her side with her hand on Ruby’s stomach. “Run your mouth if you’re so desperate.”

 

Ruby laughs a little. “What do you want to talk about?”

 

“Hmm…” Her hand moves back and forth slowly. “Are you excited yet? I thought you’d be nesting by now.”

 

“I will answer that if you answer my question.” Regina raises her eyebrows but nods. “I… don’t know. It feels like it hasn’t hit me yet. I feel her move–”

 

“Her?” Regina interjects, her hand stilling.

 

“Yeah, I think so,” Ruby laughs, looking down. “We’ll find out next week, but… my money would be on she-wolf.”

 

Regina smiles as her thumb starts moving back and forth. “We’ll have to start decorating soon.”

 

“Can’t you just magic up the room?”

 

“Where’s the fun in that?” Regina replies with a nudge against Ruby’s shoulder. “So, what did you want to ask me?”

 

Ruby turns to face Regina, readjusting her pillow against the headboard. “Will you tell me how you would have felt if I hadn’t kept her?”

 

“It was your decision–”

 

“ _Regina._ ”

 

“Okay. I would have been very sad. Happy?”

 

“Well, not really.”

 

Regina smiles and kisses her softly. “I can’t wait to add to this dysfunctional little family with you.”

 

* * *

  

“My jeans don’t fit.”

 

"That’s bound to happen when you’re five months pregnant. And usually when you buy your pants a size too small as it is, but you got away with that for years,” Regina responds as she rubs lotion onto her hands.

 

“Nothing fits,” Ruby whines as she pulls out the clothes in her drawer.

 

“Well, you _are_ wearing clothes right now.”

 

“We’re going for dinner and I have nothing to wear.”

 

“And your hair's not done.”

 

“ _Regina_.”

 

The woman in question walks over to her and presses a kiss to her forehead before walking out the door. “Little black dress, dear. There’s a reason they were invented.”

 

Granny’s already in the kitchen when they arrive, throwing anyone out who tries to enter, leaving them to sit in the living room with the rest of the gang. Whale is smiling as if he has a secret, which he does as of ten this morning, but he remains silent on their news. Henry is on the floor playing with Hank, the ten week-old beagle Charming and Mary Margaret had adopted from a breeder in a nearby town.

 

“This so isn’t fair,” Mary Margaret greets Ruby with a mournful sigh, “I was a whale at five months and you’ve barely got a bump.”

 

“Just because you can’t tell doesn’t mean my waistband can’t,” Ruby replies. “Granny says we pop in between six and seven in our family.”

 

“Poor you. So you two are taking Henry home tonight?”

 

“And tomorrow he’s helping Regina paint,” she nods, watching the two on the floor. Regina loves animals; Ruby doesn’t know why she doesn’t get a pet. The irony hits her a second too late. “How’s the puppy with Adam?”

 

“Really good, actually. It’s the toys issue we have to sort out. He’s a good dog though. David says that Almanac is calling for an unseasonably warm January, so I think he wants to take you out hunting one more time.”

 

“Hmm…” Ruby considers, hands clasped together at the bottom of her stomach. “Maybe during the full moon. Might as well try changing once and god knows I won’t be able to sleep on the ground. But if there’s a nice weekend, that’d be great. I think Henry’s dying for some time away from chats about the baby.”

 

They share their confirmed news at dinner, much to everyone’s delight. Mary Margaret laments that she always wanted a girl, earning an eye roll from Emma, and Granny gets this small smile that Ruby’s not sure she recognizes. The two end up staying longer than they mean to, so late into the night that Henry ends up asleep on the ground with Hank, getting hauled to the guest room by his grandfather. Regina smiles at the small baby in her hands, Adam with his permanent Charming pout having taken center stage once again.

 

She returns the child to his mother’s arms and excuses herself, and Ruby finds herself slipping out the hall unnoticed to follow her. She doesn’t know why, but she’s stalking out Regina’s scent. She catches her leaning over Henry’s bed, running a hand through his hair. Ruby doesn’t make a sound, but within a moment Regina is standing and turning to face her.

 

“I forgot about you and babies,” Regina breathes as she brushes past her and into the bathroom, where she stands with the door open until Ruby follows her in. She closes the door and leans back against it, ducking her head from Ruby’s kisses until the taller woman grabs her head and holds it still. “It’s going to be a fun first couple of years.”

 

“If you’re lucky,” Ruby replies against her lips, smiling against Regina’s mouth in between warm, heady kisses. Despite attempted protests her hand makes it underneath the waistband of Regina’s tailored slacks, teeth bearing down on Regina’s lower lip in a last minute effort to rouse a noise from her, but to no avail. Her punishment for the onslaught.

 

Mary Margaret approaches slowly down the hall, but Regina remains stubbornly silent, eyebrows knitted together and jaw slack, even as her fingers press into her. She pulls on the back of Regina’s head until her neck is shown to her.

 

“Ruby? You snuck off, we had no idea where you went.”

 

“Fine, Mary Margaret,” she replies cheerily, Regina’s nails gripping the underside of her arms. “Just got a little dizzy.”

 

“Do you need anything?”

 

Ruby’s hand twists but Regina doesn’t so much as gasp, though her nails begin to draw blood. “Nope, all good.” Mary Margaret leaves and for a long moment Regina stares at her, waiting for her next move. “They’ll be expecting me.”

 

“Don’t you dare,” Regina hisses.

 

Ruby disengages so she can wash her hands in the sink, brushing past Regina who has finally been reduced to panting, and continuing down the hall. For some reason she expects the woman to return to the group agitated and impatient, but Ruby forgets that Regina Mills is a consummate actress. She joins up with them with a warm smile and makes excuses to stay as late as they can.

 

“You’re not going to sleep tonight,” Ruby states as they walk down the front path of The Charming’s yard.

 

“Is that a promise?”

 

“More of an active threat.” Regina laughs, breath coming out in visible puffs in the December air. She holds the passenger door open for Ruby and then steps around to her seat. “We should go away. After we get settled with the baby.”

 

“A vacation?” Ruby nods as Regina turns the ignition and cranks the heat. “Well, I wouldn’t object to that.”

 

“Where do you want to go?” Ruby asks.

 

“It’s your idea.”

 

“I’m not original. I’ll say Boston or something.”

 

Regina laughs and begins the drive to their home. “Paris?”

 

“Paris?”

 

“Paris.”

 

“Do you speak French?”

 

“Not a word.”

 

Ruby smiles and runs her hand over her stomach. “Well, then Paris it is. For whatever reason.”

 

“Why do you need a reason? It’s Paris.”

 

* * *

 

The weather does warm up, thankfully around wolfstime because Regina has nearly had her breaking point of cooped up with Ruby in the house. She’s still a little nervous about changing, but by the time they’re sitting at the lake, patiently waiting for their lines to stir, she’s more than relaxed, laying back in the sun, Hank’s small head using her calf as a pillow.

 

“So will the baby be magic like me and my moms?”

 

“You know, I’ve never thought about it. I was always too worried about the wolf thing.” Ruby shifts to awkwardly sit up, something that’s getting harder and harder to do with each passing day. “I guess so. I mean it was made with a potion after all.”

 

Charming returns from the forest, a clutch of rabbits hanging from his belt, hanging them up from the line they have running between the trees. When he finishes he joins them at the side of the water, slipping in behind Ruby until she laughs and leans back against his chest.

 

“Mary Margaret couldn’t get comfortable around this time.”

 

“Well, she’s not the only one.” Ruby shifts as he adjusts his legs on each side of her. “Weigh in here – what are the chances this baby is gonna be magic?”

 

David lets out a low whistle. “Here we were worried about the wolf thing. Probably a pretty good chance. So, good luck with that.”

 

They go to sleep early because of their early arrival, so Ruby finds herself wandering the forest before it even gets truly dark. It’s colder now that the sun is gone, but she manages without a jacket until she hears the howls way off in the distance.

 

She notices an immediate change as she shifts onto four feet, the extra weight; the immediate need to lie down. She speeds through the trees until she finds the den, the wolves welcoming her back with quiet indifference after months of seclusion from them. Ruby sleeps well into the day, waking as her human self in a pit of sleeping animals and finding herself walking through a half mile of forest before she finds Charming showing Henry how to gut a fish.

 

“Good morning,” he calls out with a cheeky grin. She’s never wanted a coffee more in her life. “How was your night?”

 

“Good. I slept the whole time.” She squints and looks out at the lake, the surface as reflective as a mirror in the bright light. Ruby reaches out to tuck the tag back into Henry’s shirt as she finally steps up to them. “How’s cutting off fish heads?”

 

“Fine,” Henry replies with a shrug.

 

“Well, if this is no problem for you, you better get used to a world full of babysitting.”

 

At dinnertime Henry runs off to find more kindling for the fire with the puppy, leaving the two adults stretched out by the calm lake, Ruby leaning back on her hands and Charming flat on his back. Suddenly Ruby can’t wait for the spring, thinking about the endless weekends she can spend out here with Henry.

 

“How are things with Regina?”

 

“Good. She wants to plan a getaway after the baby is born. Have you guys ever thought about travelling?” She glances over and watches him shake his head, hands clasped underneath it. “You guys should come with us. Regina wants to plan a vacation away in France.”

 

“Lavish.”

 

“It would be fun, don’t you think?” she asks as she mirrors his position, head turned towards her former king. “To explore this world?”

 

David smiles and looks over at her, blue eyes still bright in the darkening light. “It would be. It’s so easy here, to travel the world. It would take years in our land.”

 

Ruby laughs, gaze dropping a little bit. She’s about to respond when something catches her off guard. “Snow.”

 

“Sorry?” he asks with a chuckle.

 

“It’s snowing.” It was, the light flakes blowing in from the dark clouds in the east. Before Henry returns, they’re packed up, and Ruby has to promise him for an hour straight that evening that she’ll take him out to make up their weekend as soon as she can. Charming helps her into the truck, laughing as the wolves howl in the distance, the moon now high above their heads.

 

“I think your friends miss you.”

 

* * *

 

The last month of her pregnancy has Ruby wound tighter than she’s ever been before. She’s huge, which she hates, the weather is gorgeous but again, she’s huge so going anywhere is hassle. Regina is abnormally patient, though sometimes Ruby swears she catches her grinding her teeth when she thinks Ruby isn’t looking.

 

She’s happy though, happier than Ruby has ever seen Regina. She’s overly affectionate, probably in an attempt to balance out Ruby’s own constant impatient mood. Ruby doesn’t mind though, especially when Regina takes her leave from work, spending the days lounging in bed with the very pregnant woman because it’s the only place she can get comfortable.

 

“Did you ever think you’d end up with a woman?” Ruby asks from her spot resting in Regina’s lap, stretched out on her back across the bed.

 

“Well, you’re the first I’ve been with, so no.”

 

“ _Really?_ "

 

“Don’t act so surprised,” Regina replies, turning the page of her book before hand resumes its position of sifting through Ruby’s hair. “It’s a small town.”

 

“Well, it certainly didn’t seem like the first time you’ve been with a girl.” Regina smirks but says nothing as she shifts the novel in her hand to look at the next page. “You know you want to know.”

 

“I’m a little afraid of the answer, to be honest.”

 

“You definitely won’t like it.” This catches Regina’s attention, the book in her hand being set aside with a deep breath. “Are you ready?”

 

“Just get on with it.”

 

“Well, it was more recent than you might think.”

 

“I’m literally not thinking anything right now.”

 

Ruby smoothes her hands over her bulging stomach, unable to keep the grin off her face. “Miss Swan.”

 

Regina groans and shoves Ruby’s head off her lap. “Please tell me you’re joking.” When Ruby does nothing but laugh as the mayor lifts herself off the bed. “Why? _Why?_ ”

 

“She was the first new person I’d seen in almost thirty years!” Ruby defends herself, shifting to sit back against the headboard. “Also, I was loaded.”

 

“What a surprise.”

 

“I feel like you’re a little jealous right now.” Regina rolls her eyes across the room. “But are you jealous of Emma or me?”

 

“I do not want to sleep with Emma Swan, thank you.”

 

“This really bothers you, doesn’t it?” Ruby laughs from the bed, hands moving to feel small kicks from within her. “Your magic wolf child thinks it’s hilarious.”

 

“Oh, sure, when you’re trying to score points, she’s _my_ magic wolf child.” Nonetheless Regina sits on the bed again, brushing Ruby’s hands aside to feel the movements. “What did Mary Margaret say about this after the curse broke?”

 

“She didn’t want details when it first happened, she definitely hasn’t asked about it since.” She moves the pillow behind her back and sighs. “It was totally not Emma’s first time with another girl.”

 

“That does not surprise me in the least.”

 

“Can we cut this thing out yet? She wants out, I want her out, get her out.”

 

“Two weeks,” Regina replies, patting the top of her stomach. “Think you can wait?”

 

“Honestly?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then, yes, I can wait.”

 

The older woman stretches up to kiss her. “You don’t like talking about it, but we should probably start thinking of names sometime soon.”

 

“You can’t name something before you meet it,” Ruby says in return, holding Regina’s face close.

 

“Well, like I’ve said before, you most certainly can.”

 

“So you knew what you would name a boy, what was your plan if you had ended up adopting a girl?”

 

“Look through a name book?”

 

“ _That’s_ original.” Regina laughs and kisses her again. “Want to name this one after your mother?”

 

“Want to name it after yours?”

 

“No.”

 

“I’m glad we’ve come to an agreement then.” Ruby smiles and tugs on Regina’s collar until she relents and lies on the bed again, pressed against Ruby’s side. “Pick one from a novel you like. Have Belle come up with a list. She’s still mad you won’t let her throw you a baby shower.”

 

“As fun as being surrounded by a room full of skinny women sounds right now, I think I can wait. Forever.”

 

* * *

  

A week and a half passes by in total peace as Ruby accepts the fact that there’s little more she can do but wait patiently for her scheduled c-section date. It’s the middle of the night when she feels it, a weird signal to her brain that has her eyes opening immediately when it happens. She shakes Regina’s wrist until the sleeping woman wakes up.

 

“Time to go,” she announces, sitting up from the bed calmly despite the sudden sharp pain in her abdomen. She wishes she had gotten a full night’s sleep at the very least, but she’ll take this over a six-week recovery time from surgery. It’s easier than she thought, to make it down a towering staircase while in labour, but her speed has Regina rushing to keep up.

 

She calls Whale in the car, sighing as she informs Regina that they would be best off picking him up rather than waiting for him to arrive at the hospital. She frowns as she watches Whale approach, a distinct smell coming off his shirt as he slides into the backseat and does up his dress clothes.

 

“Why do you smell like Belle’s perfume?” Ruby asks as Regina speeds off into the street, a contraction catching her off guard.

 

“She's staying over.”

 

“ _Whale_. You didn’t.”

 

“Calm down,” he says from the backseat, pressing two fingers to the side of her neck and staring at his watch. “She and her boyfriend got in a fight, I found her at the _Rabbit_. Told her she could stay at my place since she was looking for a new apartment. How far apart are your contractions?”

 

“Five minutes,” she breathes through gritted teeth. “And I’m so sure you just offered her your spare room.”

 

“Well, I did because an annoying patient of mine went into labour before I could open a bottle of wine.”

 

“Can we skip the gossip until after she has the baby?” Regina asks from the driver’s seat as she pulls into the hospital parking lot. Whale rushes off to get a wheelchair as Regina helps Ruby out of the car. “Ready?”

 

“No, but she is.”

 

* * *

  

Ruby’s in labour for five painfully slow hours but it ends up being more than worth it when she hears the cries at the exact moment the clock turns to six. By seven she’s holding her daughter in her now-quiet hospital room, exhausted but content.

  
“Have you picked a name?” Regina asks quietly, fingers brushing over the dark, downy hair on top of the baby’s head. She’s tall and relatively skinny for the inches she already has on her, with long fingers and toes. Occasionally she lets out a quiet noise from her position lying in Ruby’s arms. “She looks like you, it’s only fair if you name her.”

 

“I thought I’d know when I saw her.” She leans back against the pillows propped up behind her. “I need coffee. And a shower.”

 

“I’ll help you with the first right now, but how you’re going to accomplish the second after pushing a baby out of you is beyond me.” Regina kisses her forehead and then their daughter’s before she gets up to leave the room.

 

Ruby sits in the dawn-dimmed room and stares at the little girl, desperately wishing for a name to jump to her head. She’s so wrapped up in staring at her child that she doesn’t notice Gold’s presence at the doorway for a long time, jumping a little and resting her child in her lap as he approaches with a box in his hand.

 

“I wanted to be the first to offer you congratulations, Miss Lucas. That’s a beautiful little girl you have there.” He steps around to the side of her bed, resting the garment box on the edge of the mattress. “I thought you would enjoy a small nostalgic token.”

 

She eyes him for a moment before returning her daughter to small hospital basket to her left and reaching to grab the package. She pulls on the end of the string wrapped around it until the bow gives way and she can open the top. Ruby smiles a little at the sight inside; her dress and gloves and boots from the other world filling the box to the rim.

 

“Gold… I don’t know what to say.” Her fingers brush over the intricate stitching on the hem of the bodice.

 

“Best not to say anything until I confess something, dear.” He shifts under the weight of her returned gaze. “Belle already knows, before you say anything… and I don’t expect she’ll forgive me anytime soon. I gave you a potion a few months ago under the pretense that it would end your unborn child’s life. What I didn’t tell you was that it would have taken your own as well.”

 

Ruby blinks and fights the urge to check for snakes hidden in amongst the package she’s just received. “You tried to kill me?” He nods curtly. “What the hell did I ever do to you?”

 

“I would have thought that you soldiers realized long ago that so very little of this has anything to do with you,” he replies causing her blood to boil.

 

“What the hell is your problem?” Ruby hisses. “In the room where my child was born an hour ago?” Gold at least has the courtesy to look contrite. “Get out. Now.”

 

He leaves immediately and Ruby is left scrambling to collect herself again as she hears a group of people descend through the halls towards her room. Her friends are surrounding her and the bed in an instant, moving to allow Regina through to sit by her bed and hand Ruby her coffee.

 

“She’s beautiful,” Mary Margaret coos as David lifts the child from her spot, kneeling to allow the still half-asleep Henry a better look at his new sister. “God, Ruby, she’s your spitting image.”

 

“Where does she get blue eyes from?” Henry asks as she stares up at Charming. “I mean, Ruby’s are like green and blue, but her eyes are like dark.”

 

“They’ll stay like that for a little while,” Emma responds through a yawn, running her hand over her son’s shoulders. “They’ll probably change before she six months old.”

 

“Have you picked a name yet?” Granny asks as she pulls out a tray of food she’s brought from the diner, insisting Ruby eat while it’s still hot.

 

“Not yet.”

 

“It sounds like she’s saying something,” Henry adds after the baby lets out a discomforted cry as she’s passed to Mary Margaret’s waiting arms. “Eff.”

 

“Well, it’s nice of her to start censoring herself at such an early age,” Ruby mumbles around a mouth full of pancakes, her appetite already returning to normal. “She’s not getting a name that starts with F. No Fiona's in this family.”

 

“Well, Effy’s already got a nickname for life, better work around it,” Regina responds, taking a long drink of her coffee and opening her arm to welcome Henry pressing against her side, resting his head on her shoulder. “Who brought you your dress?”

 

“Oh. Um, Gold did.”

 

“Does he have all our clothes, because I’d love to get a few of those dresses back,” Mary Margaret says in a quiet voice as she bounces the child in her arms softly.

 

“I don’t know. You could ask.” She doesn’t bring up his confession; she won’t until she talks to Belle. Still she can appreciate the gift. “A little cruel now that there’s no way it’ll fit.”

 

* * *

 

They take Elizabeth home after a few days rest in the hospital, Ruby already feeling like her old self by the time they enter the large house. Effy is good, she sleeps constantly and eats well, they couldn’t ask for a better newborn.

 

“Her hair has already grown,” Ruby comments as she sets the car seat down on the bed, pulling the sleeping from her spot without problem and setting her in the bassinet they have set up by Regina’s side. “Definitely yours. Dark and thick.”

 

“Here I was hoping she’d have your Disney curls.” Ruby laughs as Regina drops her bag to the floor and walks over to her, kissing her soundly and pushing her until she’s sitting on the bed. “Welcome home.”

 

“Want to join me in the shower?” she asks as she settles her hands on Regina’s hips, holding her close.

 

“I was going to cook you a full breakfast since your appetite seems to have returned full force.”

 

“Mimosas?”

 

Regina laughs and pats her shoulders before she turns to leave the room. “I’ll see what I can do.”

 

* * *

 

She takes Henry out as soon as she can, desperate not only to show the kid that he wasn’t in second place because of a new baby, but also to get out of the house and into the forest again as the spring weather brought it back to life. So she leaves Regina with her grandmother and takes him out one Saturday afternoon.

 

“Okay… shoot.” Henry throws the old stuffed animal into the air, the latest of Hank’s victims, just for Ruby to shoot it down as soon as she got a good sight on it.

 

“How did you get so good at that?” Henry asks as his grandparents’ beagle trots off to retrieve his former toy.

 

“I don’t know. Hunting, I suppose. You get used to not second guessing yourself.” Ruby wipes her brow as the warm afternoon sun beats down on them, making the air thick and heavy. “But there’s a lot you have to think about. Speed, weight, exits. Deer are easy; it’s boars you had to worry about back home. Never knew when they’d turn around and try and catch you on one of those tusks.” She runs a hand through his hair. “Sometimes I wish I could take you back there for a day. Just to let you see one thing you’ve read about. You would have loved living there.”

 

“Could you make me a werewolf?” he asks, making her heart stop.

 

“No. Henry, no… I can’t do that.”

 

“Effy’s going to be one, isn’t she?”

 

Ruby sighs and leans down as Hank approaches with the toy and wooden arrow, dropping them at her feet. “Probably. But that couldn’t be helped. The only thing that would make that not happen would have been for me to not have her at all.”

 

Henry is quiet for a long time, playing with the feathered end of one of the arrows stuck in the ground. “I know what potion made her.”

 

“Oh?” Ruby asks, running her hand down Hank’s back.

 

“It was true love.”

 

“I figured as much, eventually.”

 

“What did it taste like?”

 

“Grapes.”

 

“Yeah, I guessed it would.” She laughs and straightens, adjusting the bow in her arms. “Why did Belle and Mr. Gold break up?”

 

“I guess they just didn’t want to be together anymore. You’re not worried that’s going to happen with me and your mom, right?”

 

“No, you guys seem okay.”

 

Ruby readies her bow with another arrow and aims for the target on the far side of the clearing, the arrow smacking into the tree right next to the center dot.

 

“Good,” she breathes. “I don’t think you’ll have to ever worry about that.”

 

* * *

 

She sends Effy to her great-grandmother’s the exact day she returns to her pre-baby weight simply so she and Regina can go to bed as soon as they finish dinner. It’s a good distraction from their first night away from their child. Regina seems impervious to time or stress, even somewhat excited to sleep through the night for the first time in three months, though she asks for constant breaks.

 

“You and babies,” she mumbles into Ruby’s ear over the desperate pants that fill the room.

 

“Don’t stop.”

 

“You’re doing all the work,” Regina reminds, though her hand picks up as much speed as it can, cramped between their two bodies. Ruby gasps into her neck, her hips bucking to meet Regina’s ministrations. She nearly collapses on top of Regina as her gasps escalate, but she has enough courtesy to roll away before giving Regina the satisfaction of being able to complain about her weight.

 

“It’s been building up for twelve weeks.” Regina laughs from across the pillow. “You know, I think she has your eyes. I bet you they’re going to be same brown in a few months.”

 

“You’re just saying that because she’s a mini-you already. Not that I mind.” Regina stretches out on the bed and pulls Ruby close. “I heard your friend went on a date with Whale.”

 

“Really? Now that is interesting. I didn’t think they had anything in common.”

 

“She’s young and pretty and he’s a good-looking single doctor, I don’t think they need much else to talk about this early on.” Ruby smiles and kisses her. “Are you gonna be cooling it with the work outs now? It wasn’t terrible watching you exercise all day.”

 

“It keeps me busy. I might go back to work on the weekends now that you’re just going back four days a week. I miss being around Granny all day, honestly.”

 

“That’s sweet.”

 

“Don’t tell her. She’d never let me live it down.”

 

“Of course.” Regina smiles at her as the sun begins to set outside, casting them in an orange glow. “What do you want to do now that you’ve achieved your goal?”

 

* * *

 

Regina’s never taken her to her little maze beneath the cemetery but Ruby’s in awe of it as the older woman leads her through the tunnels. Regina helped her into her dress before they left the house, the clothes fitting Ruby like a second skin even after all this time, the combined feel of their familiarity with the underground lair (or whatever) giving her flashbacks of Red’s life.

 

They end up in a small round room that has wardrobes covering the walls, the doors flying open as Regina arrives. Ruby steps from behind her, running her hands over the different fabrics of dresses that once belonged to The Evil Queen.

 

“I didn’t think you’d like roleplaying.”

 

“It’s definitely not roleplaying, I just miss dressing up.” Ruby stops in front of a navy gown, pulling it from its hanger as the memory hits her. “This one.”

 

“So you’re picking the dress I first met you in, but this definitely isn’t roleplaying?”

 

“Well, I’m not wearing the dress _I_ first met _you_ in, now am I?” Regina shakes her head, but with a wave of her hand the dress disappears from Ruby’s hands and in an instant Regina is standing in it in front of a mirror, dressed and looking like a different woman in all her former glory. “You look gorgeous.”

 

“Armani could take some notes,” Regina drawls as she smoothes the rich fabric, eyes drawing up as Ruby steps behind her in the mirror. “So this definitely isn’t roleplaying, but I’d bet any money you want me to tell you to kneel before your queen right now.”

 

“It’s a weird image,” is all Ruby can come up with as she stares at their forms in the mirror. She runs her hand along the soft material, almost surprised to see the reflection she barely recognizes do the same. “Find a way to take me back home for a day and I’ll dress up as anything you want.”

 

Regina laughs as Ruby’s hand covers her own. “As tempting as that sounds, if I could do that then it would have been done a long time ago.”

 

Ruby turns the woman around, smiling as Regina lifts her chin to meet her gaze. “I think we can make do for now.”


	8. Epilogue

It’s hard to believe it when there’s _actually_ peace. It doesn’t hit Ruby until one day when Effy is three, running around on chubby toddler legs and trying to keep up with Adam as Henry and Paige chase them around the large backyard of the Charming residence. Five years ago she never would have been able to imagine witnessing the sight of Mary Margaret and Regina literally breaking bread on the patio with Kathryn of all people, home for a visit from Boston, helping them set out the plates. Belle disengages from Whale’s side for the first time that day to assist Granny with the drinks, leaving the blonde man to pretend to be even partially interested in steaks and burgers as he stands at the grill with David and Jim. Emma and a very much lovesick Jefferson stand with Ruby as they watch the kids race through the yard in the bright July afternoon.

 

And all Ruby can do is smile.

 

* * *

 

“Something’s happened. Come home when you get this.”

 

Ruby’s already tearing through the forest before the voicemail can finish, wide-awake despite only having awoken a minute ago in the dirt. She crashes into a few trees and falls down a hill but she doesn’t slow, not even when her feet hit the polished hardwood in her entryway. She’s at the threshold of Effy’s room before the front door that she’s slammed can close downstairs, stomach dropping as she takes in the sight of her daughter wrapped in her old cloak, Regina curled beside her on the bed.

 

“Take it off her.”

 

“It’s already morning,” Regina replies quietly as she eases herself off the mattress, her voice thick with sleep and eyes squinting to make out the clock on Effy’s bedside table.

 

“It’s three.”

 

“Three-fifteen.”

 

“ _Regina_.”

 

She sighs and reaches down to pull back one end of the cloak, dropping it down on the bedspread. The change is immediate and before Ruby can blink there’s a wolf pup in the place where her daughter had been, its jet-black fur darker than the shadows in the room.

 

“She’s only seven,” Ruby whispers, falling back against the wall and sinking to the floor as Regina adjusts the red hood again until their daughter appears, her long dark hair shielding her face from Ruby’s gaze. Regina steps around the bed and helps her back to her feet, holding her up like a child.

 

“It’ll be fine,” she soothes as they make their way through the hall, passing Henry’s long-unoccupied room and leading Ruby to their own, pushing her on the bed when they arrive. “She doesn’t know. I just went in to check on her.”

 

“ _Seven_ , Regina. She just turned seven and she’s already changing.” Ruby’s face remains distraught even as her body pliantly obeys Regina’s silent commands as she strips her of her dirt-ridden clothes. “We weren’t even supposed to find out until she was a teenager.”

 

“Well, we figured it could be different with the magic,” Regina says tiredly though she takes a seat next to Ruby on the bed with a sigh. “I’ll speak to Gold about making her something like your cloak. But there’s a silver lining. She’ll be able to control it with you around to teach her.”

 

Ruby groans and falls back on the bed, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. “I thought I had _at least_ five years to plan an escape.”

 

“Ha ha,” Regina slaps her hip and sits up to move to the other side of the mattress, climbing under the comforter and Ruby joins her after a moment, throwing what remains of her clothes into the pile on the floor. Regina speaks again when Ruby’s forehead is pressed against her neck. “She’s a good looking wolf at least.”

 

“And that makes it better?”

 

“Doesn’t it?”

 

* * *

 

The days are getting longer, the sun already high and bright by the time Ruby’s on her second cup of coffee. Effy’s already dressed in her school uniform when she appears, running to hug Ruby when she sees her.

 

“Were you the wolf last night?” she asks, her warm brown eyes the same captivating colour as Regina’s.

 

“I was,” Ruby replies as she leans down to lift the young girl for a hug. She is Ruby’s mirror image save for her eyes, though Ruby is certainly not her favourite amongst her two parents. “You’re getting too big.”

 

“I’m the smallest kid in my class,” Effy complains as she wriggles out of Ruby’s hold and heads to her seat.

 

“Well, there are only ten of you.”

 

Regina places a plate in front of the both of them, her own breakfast already done away with. She is overlooking finance sheets but she meets Ruby’s eyes across the counter before running her hand down Effy’s back.

 

“Honey, do you feel okay?”

 

“Yeeep.”

 

“What about last night? Did you sleep alright?” She nods with a mouth full of waffles and Regina shrugs when she meets Ruby’s gaze again. “Well, I’ll see you when I get home from work, okay?”

 

“Okay, love you, bye.”

 

Regina smiles and kisses Ruby’s cheek, only making it a step away before the brunette casually tells her, “I’ll run that errand. At the pawn shop.” Regina pivots on spot, face twisted in concern but Ruby stops her before she can speak. “It’s fine. I have the whole day free.”

 

“If you’re sure,” Regina says slowly waiting for Ruby’s confirmation nod before leaning in to kiss her on the lips and then continuing on to her car.

 

“Wanna walk to school today?” Ruby asks, smiling and taking another sip of her coffee as her daughter’s head bobs up and down.

 

* * *

 

“You certainly look well-rested.”

 

“Long night.”

 

“I don’t need details.”

 

Ruby rolls her eyes as she watches Adam and Effy ascend the staircase and head toward their shared classroom, being two of the small handful of first generation Storybrooke children now in the system. She turns to Mary Margaret, glancing around to ensure no one is within hearing distance of them.

 

“It’s already started. The transformations.”

 

Mary Margaret’s eyebrows furrow as she glances at the young girl’s retreating form. “But Granny said–”

 

“I know,” Ruby sighs.

 

“If you’re still trying to scare me into _not_ pushing my son to marry your daughter this isn’t a very good tactic. We’ll still take her.”

 

“Thank god, we were running out of things to add to her dowry. This is serious, you know. She could wolf-out the next time soccer practice goes past sunset.”

 

“You used to get mad at us when we called it that.” Mary Margaret smiles that reassuring smile that always has Ruby taking a breath and relaxing. “Take her out tonight. Or Friday if you want to wait until the weekend. She’s not going to be a lone wolf like you were, Ruby. She’ll have her mother with her.”

 

The warning bell rings and Mary Margaret stands from the bench, collecting her things before she squeezes Ruby’s forearm.

 

“Just keep an eye on her today.”

 

“I will.”

 

“And get a haircut, you look like Snow White.”

 

“Well, you’re a picnic basket away from a fairytale stereotype yourself, so I wouldn’t be talking.”

 

* * *

 

Ruby stalls for the rest of the morning, stopping by the diner to lament to Granny, who tells her the exact thing Mary Margaret had said before shooing her away so she could deal with the customers. So she continues her walk through the town, desperately trying to come up with detours on her way to the pawn shop, going out of her way to Whale’s practice just before it closes for lunch.

 

She smiles and greets Ashley at the front desk, leaning across the counter to rub her third-time protruding belly as they make idle small until the phone rings, leaving Ruby to duck into the hallway towards the examination rooms. She passes each one until she finds Whale’s office in the back, the brushed steel fixtures and furniture blinding in the bright sun the large windows let in. She briefly wonders how he can stand such a display with his particular level of functioning-alcoholism, but she supposes that’s why Belle had fought so hard for the open feel. She is very clever when she needs to be.

 

Try as she might, Ruby can’t help but take a particular interest in the conversation the good doctor is having with his current patient. She attempts to hide the smile from her face when he enters but Ruby can tell that he’s on to her as soon as he spots her sitting in his large leather chair.

 

“Not a word.”

 

“Of course not.”

 

“Ruby.”

 

“I _swear_ ,” she laughs as he sighs and tosses his jacket on the back of one of the chairs set up in front of his desk. Normally he looks very sharp in the particular shade of red he’s wearing but today it washes him out. “You look rather exhausted, Dr. Whale.”

 

“Twin gene. When you start living with someone, the fact that your mother was a twin should be the first thing you mention.” Whale pours them each a drink (only two fingers like the good kept boy he now is) before collapsing back on the cushioned visitors seat, raising his feet to prop them up on the glass countertop of the desk and taking a sip of his drink. “The absolute second Tweedledum falls asleep, Dee is up. You’d think her sister crying would bother her in some way, but nope. She’s patient. She waits her turn.”

 

“Well, at least there’s that.” Ruby leans forward to grasp the framed photo of the family. “You don’t mind them though.”

 

“For the most part.”

 

“Maybe God’s punishing you for having children out of wedlock.”

 

“You’re one to talk. And, just so you know, that’s on your pal, Rubes. Apparently having a name that means “beautiful whale” is not appealing to all young ladies.” She laughs loudly and it earns her a smile. “She doesn’t care, I don’t care, there’s babies that can cement the cracks of our undoubtedly shaky relationship – who needs anymore validation than that?”

 

“You love her,” Ruby accuses and Whale makes a noise of agreement into his glass. Rather than savour, like Whale most definitely is, Ruby drowns her drink in one fell swoop, shaking her head a little at the bite. The blonde man across from her raises an eyebrow and for the third time that day she’s telling the story of her daughter’s predicament.

 

“Sounds like fun,” he comments eventually and she rolls her eyes. “Mother-daughter wolf bonding time, it’ll be a more enjoyable than reading _Pride and Prejudice_ and eating chocolate all day, or whatever the hell pre-baby Belle would do all day when we weren’t discussing Mozart or going at it.”

 

“How did she resist you for so long is the real question.” They share a smile that only two friends who have had sex and lived through it can, before Ruby mirrors his position, resting her feet on the desk and leaning back in her chair. “Still want me to come with you tomorrow?”

 

“I do need a woman’s eye.”

 

“I still can’t believe you’re going through with this.”

 

“ _I_ think it’s romantic.”

 

“Well, let’s hope Belle feels the same way.” She swivels the plush chair slightly back and forth. “Emma though.”

 

Whale laughs a little and nods. “Should have seen her face.”

 

* * *

 

The bell chimes above her head, the smell of wood, dust, and magic greeting her before the owner makes his way to the front room, stopping when he spots her in his shop. Gold takes a few more steps as the initial shock wears off, walking out from behind register to meet her.

 

“Miss Lucas. You haven’t stepped foot in my shop in eight years.”

 

“I don’t recall visiting your shop all too often before that.”

 

He smiles that fake smile and looks down, speaking half of his sentence to the floor before meeting her gaze again. “No, I suppose that’s true. How may I be of service to you?”

 

“No demands this time?” Another fake smile that fails to put Ruby at ease is given as a memory hits her like a truck, the putrid smell of the– “I need something,” she manages as quickly as she can, shaking her head to rid herself of thoughts about black poisons that she has long since blocked out. “I need something for my daughter. To stop her from transforming.”

 

“Regina’s magic genes have kick started your wolf ones then?” When she nods he turns his back on her, clearly needing to lean on his cane more these days as he walks. “A cloak seems a rather impractical thing this day and age. Not quite the fashion statement here as they were in our land.”

 

“But you can make something?”

 

“I may not need to,” he replies as he pulls out three jewelry boxes and sets them on the counter. He opens the lids, revealing a myriad of different gems and jewels that shine even in the dank, curtained shop. Ruby steps towards the counter and eyes him cautiously as she watches him sort through the boxes. Eventually he tugs on a long silver chain until the pendent breaks free from the bracelet that it is caught on. It’s a thin flat pearl that’s morphed almost perfectly, as if by magic, into the shape of a crescent moon, the iridescent coating glowing purple when it catches the light. “I came across a few of these baubles – jewelry and other such items that one could wear, when I stumbled across a great den of werewolves deep in the Enchanted Forest.”

 

The brunette eyes him for a moment reaching out to touch the necklace before realizing her mistake, the silver chain burning the tips of her fingers. She reels her hand back immediately and in an instant he’s undoing the clasp and sliding the pendant off. “I’m sorry, I nearly forgot.”

 

“What do you want?” His brown eyes remain down as he searches for a replacement, swapping out the silver for white gold instead. “Gold. What is this going to cost me?”

 

“I feel as if I am the one who is indebted to you.” The older man meets her gaze when he finishes, holding the piece out to her with a sincere look. “You could have made me an even bigger pariah in this town than I am. You probably could have killed me and it would have been well-deserved.”

 

“It would have been,” she agrees, squeezing the pearl in her hand and relaxing as she feels the familiar tingle of magic that means safety so long as you hold on. “It’s Regina you should thank, really. She’s the one who agreed to keep quiet about it; I only did it for Belle’s sake.”

 

“Well, you have my gratitude nonetheless. As does your–”

 

“Regina. Just Regina.” She furrows her eyebrows as the tense atmosphere leaves her for a moment. “It’s almost been a decade, why are people still not clear on that?”

 

* * *

 

“Well, it’s pretty.”

 

“Does that make it better?”

 

“Doesn’t it?”

 

Ruby laughs and sets the necklace down on Regina’s desk, crossing one leg over the other as she watches Regina move back and forth between file cabinets until she returns to her throne, eyes scanning the pages she brought with her. Ruby nudges her hip with the tip of her boot, repeating the movement until Regina relents and looks at her.

 

“Do you want a treat for doing your trick?”

 

“If you’re going to pull a Milk-Bone out again, you can save it.” The corner of Regina’s lip curls up into a maddeningly smug smirk, so much so that Ruby plants her feet on either side of Regina’s thighs, pulling the rolling chair over until Regina is seated between her legs, leaning back in her chair though with her hands wrapped around Ruby’s calves. “It’s pretty easy to change your tune, you know.”

 

“I’m humouring you in hopes that I can offer you a rain check in,” she checks her watch, “ _maybe_ four hours.”

 

“Hm, doesn’t work for me. I have a meeting.” She adjusts her position carefully until she’s straddling Regina’s lap in the chair, an awkward arrangement with the uneasy balance of the swiveling seat. Still, Ruby makes the best of it, barely grazing Regina’s upper lip with her lower, laughing quietly as Regina reaches for kisses she’s unwilling to give. “I smell like… pawn shop.”

 

“Can’t say I noticed,” Regina murmurs as Ruby’s mouth moves slowly across her jaw, leaving a trail of warm kisses in her wake. Nails are dragging slowly across Ruby’s lower back sending shivers up her spine and she’s about to return the favour when footsteps echoing in the hall have her lips faltering. “Who is it?”

 

“Sherriff Swan.” As if on cue there’s a knocking on the door. A wide grin breaks out on Ruby’s face and before Regina can so much as laugh the brunette silences her with the long awaited kiss.

 

“I can see you, Ruby. I can see your whole upper body. This glass is barely tempered.”

 

“Maybe if we stay quiet–”

 

“ _Ruby_ ,” comes Emma's impatient voice from the hallway.

 

Regina pats her hip and Ruby slides off her lap, stopping briefly to give her another kiss and snatch the necklace before she speeds across the room, the door wide open before Emma can say anything else. She smiles at the sheriff.

 

“Mrs. Hatter.”

 

The blonde smiles sardonically. “Well, I’d say that makes you Mrs. Queen-Hood, but you _are_ living in sin, so I guess you’re still just Miss Hood.”

 

“Oooh, you’re lucky I’m a nice person.” She taps her index finger against Emma’s abdomen discreetly, her back to Regina. The moment passes, but not before a pink flush can spread across the shorter woman’s cheeks, prompting Ruby to kiss one and wink at Regina as she leaves, laughing to herself at the glare she receives in return. It’s been seven years of teasing Regina about her one night stand with Emma, and it has yet to get old.

 

* * *

 

Her list of friends, sadly, is already starting to dwindle, so she calls Henry as she wanders towards Belle and Whale’s condo, stalling on a park bench outside the building until the sounds of crying a baby died down a little.

 

“Is mom worried?”

 

“Please. She’s her weird calm self. You and your mothers are all the same.” She bites her cheek to keep from spilling Emma’s news, though the temptation is nearly irresistible. “Have you seen Ava lately?”

 

“Just in class. I think we’re gonna come down this weekend. I wanna see the pup.”

 

“Please don’t refer to your sister like that.” Ruby’s head drops back and she stares up at the large expanse of never-ending blue. “Do you think it’s weird that your mom and I never got married? I mean Emma and Jefferson tied the knot a year after they started dating.”

 

“Nothing about you and my mom has ever been normal, and that’s not even a jab at the lesbian thing.”

 

“Ass.” Henry laughs on the other end and she briefly hears the sounds of a group of students passing him. “Thought about what you’re going to do this summer?”

 

“I’m really thinking about that internship in Baltimore, especially if Ava already has a job and a room rented.”

 

“ _Rooms_.”

 

“Right, rooms. Plural.”

 

“You are a terrible liar, you know. Your mother is going to eat you alive one day if you don’t watch out.” She can hear that Charlotte is already asleep – another black-haired beauty from the Charming household – but one of the twins refuses to go down while the other is being fed.

 

“Do you want to get married?”

 

“Good diversionary tactic.”

 

“You brought it up for a reason.”

 

“I don’t know. I think about your grandparents and Emma and Ashley, but then there’s Belle and Kathryn… they don’t care about rings.”

 

“I’ve never really seen the importance. We don’t really come from traditional backgrounds though. Not that anyone there did…”

 

“Make it down here this weekend. Effy misses Ava and that boy she’s dating.”

 

“Goodbye, Ruby.”

 

“Goodbye, Henry.”

 

Anne (or Emily (really, Belle seems to be the only one who can really tell the difference)) is tiny and perfect, already boasting Belle’s arched eyebrows and full lips. If she had to spot Whale in the girls, it would be the ears as well as the possibility of the strawberry hair on their heads turning flaxen. Belle is a natural with children, especially her own, so much so that Charlotte, Alexandra, and Alex's baby brother, Michael, often spend the day with her.

 

“I swear they’re giants compared to when they were born,” Ruby notes as Emily (or Anne) presses her face into her shirt.

 

“Well, I’ll spare you the jokes about how they’ve developed their father’s fondness for the bottle.” Belle adjusts Anne (or Emily) in her bassinette before she collapses back into the rocker, her eyes closed. “I think he already wants to have more. I never thought that would be an issue, especially when we found out about the girls.”

 

“Men and their constant search for a male heir.”

 

“See, that’s normally where I’d go, but I don’t think that’s it. He’s just secretly a great dad.” She sighs but smiles as Charlotte stands in one of the cribs set up in the twins’ room, hands outstretched. “Her highness is awake.”

  
“I’ll get her,” Ruby says as she stands and places the now sleeping Emily (or Anne) in the matching bassinette next to her sister’s before she walks into the bright yellow room, lifting the two year-old into her arms and smiling. “Charlie Charming.”

 

“Ruby,” she states, tangling her hands in Ruby’s hair and pressing her face into her neck. The child loves hair and has thankfully grown out of the phase of loving it and trying to claim it as her own. Ruby is pretty sure the reason why Mary Margaret grew her own hair back out is because she was starting to get jealous of Charlotte’s growing fondness of Emma and Ruby’s locks.

 

“I can’t believe you’re still watching her with the twins. You know they’d never be mad at you if you said you couldn’t handle it.”

 

“She’s the only one I actually like spending time with at the moment, to be honest.”

 

“Well, this one was an absolute monster the first year, if you recall.” The girl in question is practically Mary Margaret’s miniature doppelgänger, though she has a temperament and personality all of her own. “Hungry, princess?”

 

Charlotte shakes her head, her attention turning from Ruby to the myriad of toys strewn across the floor, attempting to dive out of Ruby’s arms to get what she wants. Sometimes she is exactly like Mary Margaret.

 

“You never wanted kids.”

 

“I don’t remember you going on about them either.”

 

“No,” Belle smiles, “but I always assumed I would have a few. Not with Dr. Frankenstein, mind you, but some little ladies and lords nonetheless.”

 

Ruby falls back on the couch after setting Charlotte down in front of a tub of building blocks, watching the toddler as she sorts through the different colours and shapes. “I never thought about it back home, I guess it was just expected there. Nothing about my current family is what is to be expected though. We can’t all have little Stepford lives like yours.”

 

“Had I this family back home, we would probably be shunned for our out-of-wedlock children and our fondness for reason and science.” Ruby laughs and stretches out, eyes drooping as she reaches out her hand to brush back Charlotte’s hair. “You look exhausted.”

 

“That trip to the pawn shop just kind of…”

 

“Brought back old memories?”

 

“I couldn’t shake the smell of that poison.”

 

“Ruby, that was almost eight years ago. You didn’t take it; you don’t have to feel guilty about anything.” Belle’s beautiful blue eyes are somewhat transfixing when they narrow in like they are now. “I can’t believe you accepted help from Gold, I don’t think you’ve even said his name in the last two years.”

 

“Well, he was the only one who could help. And out of consideration to you, I didn’t murder him after I dropped the baby weight way back when. And you know I’d never hold it against you, but I’ve never been happier to be the cause a rift in the relationship of a dear friend.” Charlotte looks behind her shoulder and places a yellow rectangle in Ruby’s out-turned hand before she continues on ignoring the women in the room. “I just can’t imagine not having Effy now.”

 

“I can’t imagine you without her. Or Regina for that matter. I didn’t get to see her with Henry when he was young, she’s like another person… and then exactly like the same Regina I’ve always known at the same time.”

 

“How often do you talk to Gold?”

 

“I see him around town sometimes. Victor’s never had a problem with it.” Belle looks down at her hands. “If you did, I would understand–”

 

“I have a child with the woman who devoted her life to trying to kill my best friend, I’m not sure I’m in any position to be throwing stones.”

 

Belle sighs and leans back. “Seems a little different when those attempted murders happened in this land.”

 

“You tried to see the best in him, and it was probably there… I don’t know. Having that kind of power and then losing it might just be too much for some people.” Belle nods noncommittally, but Ruby knows it’s as useless as when Snow would try to comfort her about Peter. “Well, you can wallow in the past about how you used to date The Dark One, or you can live in the present where you have two beautiful girls with a handsome doctor who owns his own practice.”

 

“If it didn’t mean that he would get more regular hours then I never would have let him buy that land for a practice. Homeowner seems far more attractive when you have two small children.” The blue-eyed girl closes her eyes and smiles. “One day.”

 

“One day,” Ruby agrees with her own knowing grin.

 

* * *

 

“How was work?” Ruby asks from the counter as Regina enters the kitchen, draping her blazer over the back of one of the stools before sliding onto it to sit next to Effy who reaches over for a hug.

 

“Exhausting,” she replies over their daughter’s head after she kisses the mass of thick, dark hair. She pulls back to look over the miniature version of Ruby’s self, smiling a little as her thumb runs over the pendant hanging from the white gold chain. “Well, doesn’t this look pretty on you?”

 

“Mama gave it to me,” she states. “I have to wear it every day or she’ll stop loving me.”

 

“That’s not funny,” Regina says drolly in Ruby’s direction, though the brunette remains smiling with her back to the other woman.

 

“It’s okay, Henry says she has to.” Ruby turns to watch them again, smile growing as she watches Regina’s unmasked face as she stares at her daughter with a look of immense fondness – looking exactly the same as she did years ago with Henry on their many trips to the diner. “When’s it going to snow again?”

 

“Probably not for quite a few months.”

 

“But I miss it.”

 

Regina squints and leans back in her chair, inspecting Effy for a moment before she raises her empty palm and blows, a flurry of soft snowflakes billowing around the child in an instant and earning Regina a laugh. She slides from her stool and kisses the crown of her daughter’s head again before patting her shoulders. “Go wash up for dinner.”

 

She does, promptly because she never makes Regina repeat herself (while Ruby can go ignored for hours), leaving the two alone. The mayor walks up to the counter to stand with her, grabbing the head of romaine and twisting it apart to throw it into a bowl while Ruby continues to do the dishes she’s dirtied for their meal.

 

“How was your day?”

 

“Made it through in one piece.”

 

“Well, that’s always a bonus.” It frightens Ruby when she really looks at Regina and sees how little she’s changed in all the years she’s known the woman. She can remember brief glimpses of her twenty-eight years in Storybrooke, and in all of them Regina looks just as she does now. “What do we owe him?”

 

“He seemed to think he owed us.”

 

“Well, considering he’s not ripped into pieces and six feet under at the moment, I’d say that’s a pretty fair statement. You’re lucky I’d warmed to your friend or I’m not sure that would have been the case.” Lettuce torn, she reaches for the cutting board and the other vegetables laid out for the salad. “Miserable little imp.”

 

Ruby tosses the dishcloth she’s holding down and steps over to stand behind Regina, wrapping her arms around her slim waist and watching her carefully dice a tomato. “Not everyone gets to go home with Little Red Riding Hood. Can’t get mad at the rest of the world when they don’t have the amazing advantages you do.”

 

“If they did, they’d see what an ego she has on her.”

 

* * *

 

Effy’s warm brown eyes can barely stay open by the time Ruby has carried her up the stairs, arms loosely wrapped around her mother’s neck. She awkwardly pulls back the blankets with the girl in her arms before she sets her down on the mattress and resituates them, running her hands through Effy’s hair.

 

“How would you like to come out with me this weekend and hang out with the wolves in the forest?” Ruby asks as her daughter’s eyes close.

 

“Mom too?”

 

“Your mother does not much care for sitting around in the dirt and cooking things over a fire. Queens can be picky like that.”

 

“If mommy’s a queen then what am I?”

 

“A princess.”

 

“Well, what are you?”

 

“The royal lapdog.” Ruby leans down to kiss Effy’s forehead and adjust the thin chain on her neck. “Goodnight, Elizabeth.”

 

“Goodnight, mama.”

 

The bathroom is hazy with steam – the warm weather does nothing for Regina’s appetite for scalding her skin – so Ruby takes the initiative and rids herself of her clothes before she walks over to the large porcelain tub and lowers herself in, leaning back against Regina’s chest.

 

“So rude.”

 

“I believe as your common-law partner, I’m legally entitled to half of everything in this house, that includes the bathtub.” Regina’s arms lower from the lip of the tub to wrap around her. “Besides, I’ve had a long day, I think I’m more in need of a–”

 

They’ve been together for almost a decade – a decade of fights and magic and love and sex, and yet Regina finds ways to keep Ruby on her toes, like with unsolicited advancements in the bathtub. Ruby flails a little when two of Regina’s fingers all but drive into her, her other hand occupied with forcefully grabbing Ruby’s chin to hold her head still, perfectly rounded nails digging into her skin just enough.

 

“ _Regina_ ,” she gasps as a small wave of the already dangerously high water spills over the edge and onto the floor.

 

Her voice is low and cool in Ruby’s ear despite the rough and speedy movements of her hand. “I can’t remember just how many times I’ve told you that I don’t think your flirting with Emma Swan is funny.”

 

“Got a thing for Henry’s moms, I guess.” She’s never been more proud of herself for speaking a proper sentence than she is now, with her hands clench the lip and her feet slide against the porcelain underneath her. Ruby doesn’t particularly like using this adjective when she’s describing the woman she’s chosen to spend her life with, but Regina is ruthless to the core when she wants to be.

 

“It was different today, wasn’t it?” Regina asks against the lobe of her ear before her mouth moves down to leave a bruising mark on her neck.

 

“No.”

 

“Liar,” the accusation is practically a hiss in her ear, almost unheard over the sound of the ever-moving water. Ruby’s careful of her voice, of the echoing sounds, but Regina doesn’t seem to care. She cranes Ruby’s chin back forcefully against her shoulder, earning her a keening whimper. “I don’t like being kept in the dark, Ruby.”

 

“She’s pregnant.” Say what you want about Regina Mills, but as ruthless as she can be, she never leaves Ruby hanging. At least, not after she gets what she wanted.

 

It’s hours later (or maybe only one, Ruby isn’t good at keeping track of time when Regina’s naked) when she finally speaks again, fingers dancing along the raven-haired woman’s bare back as they lounge in bed.

 

“Do you want another baby?” Regina is quiet and facing away form her, but her breathing gives her away. “I know you’re awake.”

 

Taking a breath she turns to squint at Ruby with tired eyes, a small smile on her face. “Every year.”

 

“What?”

 

“Every year within a month of Effy’s birthday you ask if I want more kids.”

 

“I do not.”

 

“Yes, you most certainly do.”

 

Ruby’s eyebrows furrow as she tries to think back on previous years. “Well… what do you always say?”

 

Regina’s smile grows as her eyes close once more. “You generally forget about it by the next day, so usually I just kiss you or fuck you and wait to see if you remember. You never have, apparently.”

 

“You’re the worst.” Regina laughs quietly in response, face serene in the pale light from the large, full moon. “Answer me, mother of my child.”

 

“Do _you_ want more children, Ruby?”

 

“Sometimes.”

  
  
Once again Regina’s eyes open and her smile grows. “Oh?”

 

Ruby shifts closer to the middle of the bed, pressing herself against Regina’s side. “I always felt bad that you weren’t the one who–”

 

“Got knocked up?”

 

“Was privileged enough to carry our daughter,” she throws back as she pinches Regina’s hip. “You actually wanted kids. It didn’t seem fair that you didn’t get to actually have one.”

 

“I have two children whom I love more than anything, Ruby. I can’t imagine getting any luckier than I am now.” She leans forward and gives Ruby a leading kiss that has the brunette following her as she tries to pull away, pushing Regina on her back and climbing over. “You and babies…”

 

“Some things just don’t change.”

 

* * *

 

The house is large but the design makes it seem cozier than she could have imagined, the rustic look giving the home the feel of a European cabin more than a mid-century American house like most in Storybrooke. Large exposed beams cut across the ceiling, the warm tone of the wood a stark contrast against the white walls, reflected by the matching hardwood floors.

 

“A little more her style than yours.”

 

Whale nods and continues on into the dining room that steps down into the sunken living room. Large windows meet at the corner and extend up to the vaulted ceilings, flooding the space with light and giving her a view of the expansive backyard.

 

“I was thinking about installing floor to ceiling bookcases on the back wall after we sign the papers.” He shoves his hands into his pockets and looks around the room. “Think she’ll like it?”

 

“I can’t imagine her not being in love with every square inch.” Ruby stands next to him and slips her arm around his as they look out one of the generous windows. “You definitely are waiting for her before you buy it though, right?”

 

“I’m going to bring her around when I get off work and the real estate agent is going to meet up with us soon after.” Ruby drops her head to his shoulder, laughing a little when he leans his own on top of hers. “If I don’t get laid for the first time in almost a year, I will give up on sex completely.”

 

“Really?”

 

“No, I’ll just start drinking more and hope for the best.”

 

* * *

 

“Is that a hickey? God, how old are you?”

 

“I’m trying to work, Mary Margaret.”

 

“Yes, you’re _so_ busy rolling cutlery.”

 

Ruby gives her a look that her best friend promptly returns, making her laugh despite herself. She shoves half her workload over and the other woman begins helping her with her task.

 

“It’s fine to want my fantastic sex life,” Mary Margaret scoffs at the remark, “but green doesn’t suit you, Your Highness. How’s Emma?”

 

“She has been pretty absent these last few days, so your guess is as good as mine. I don’t think she’s been feeling well lately.”

 

“Well,” Ruby begins as she tries to keep her smile under control, “hopefully she feels better soon.”

 

Granny walks back into the front of the diner, both Effy and Adam hot on her tail until they spot their mothers again. Ruby lifts her daughter up onto the counter as Adam climbs onto the seat next to Mary Margaret.

 

“Adam says we have to get married.”

 

“No, my mom says that, I just told you,” the black-haired boy responds as he takes a sip of his now lukewarm iced tea.

 

Ruby presses a kiss to Effy’s forehead and pats her kicking legs. “You don’t have to marry anyone if you don’t want to.”

 

“Except Adam,” the raven-haired woman interjects.

 

“Don’t mind her.”

 

“Listen to your aunt, Effy.”

 

“ _Mary Margaret_.”

 

“Look, Ruby, you can fight this all you want, but this is happening. Charlotte or Adam is marrying into the Mills family, and you’re gonna have to live with it.” Mary Margaret smiles brightly as she finishes her allotment of silverware and slides the pile back across the counter. “Isn’t it so nice to have helpful in-laws, Ruby?”

 

“Ha ha, Mary Margaret.”

 

“Ha ha, Ruby.”

 

“Mommy!” Charlotte exclaims as Belle pushes through the front door of the diner, setting the small girl down as she holds it open for Whale and the stroller following closely behind.

 

“There she is,” Mary Margaret greets warmly as she hoists her daughter into her lap. “And the new homeowners.”

 

“And here she was so excited to tell all her friends the news and Ruby has to go an ruin it,” Whale comments as they settle into the seat in the corner, the twins sleeping contently in their carrier.

 

“I didn’t ruin it, I only told loudmouth.”

 

“Well, as fun as being abused all day by a snappy waitress sounds, I’m taking my children and my future daughter-in-law to the stables to visit my loving husband instead.” She steps off her stool with Charlotte and hugs Belle quickly. “Congratulations, both of you.”

 

Ruby kisses her daughter one last time, takes Belle and Whale’s orders, and then switches out with Granny when the buzzer for the dryer signals its finish. She spends the rest of the evening sorting clothes, changing sheets, and serving meals until Granny finally reminds her that she’s free to go.

 

When she arrives home Regina is up and waiting for her, an open bottle of wine and an empty glass set out for Ruby before she enters the living room. She takes a seat next to Regina after she pours herself a drink, waiting until she’s halfway through it before she speaks.

 

“I take it horseback riding wore her out.”

 

“Barely kept her eyes open when Mary Margaret dropped her off.” Her own glass is low and she finishes it off. “She says you’re stepping on her wedding plans.”

 

Ruby licks her lips at the dry flavour of the wine, her foot bouncing on spot. “I don’t want my seven year-old daughter to get a complex about marriage because a family friend already wants grandchildren. Hopefully that blows over in a few months.”

 

“You know it won’t.” Regina smiles as the brunette sighs into her wine glass. “If you feel like you’re going to climb up the walls, please don’t let my keep you from going on a run.”

 

“I will when you turn in.”

 

“Don’t bother waiting up, I was going to go downstairs to make a few things.” Ruby shifts so her knees are tucked under her, facing Regina with her arm stretched over the back of the couch, fingers brushing over the ends of her dark hair.

 

“So, you don’t want another baby but–”

 

Regina cuts her off as she reaches over to set her empty wine glass down. “I didn’t say that.”

 

“So you _do_ want more kids?”

 

“I didn’t say that,” she parrots, a faint hint of a grin on her lips. “I didn’t say anything either way, if you recall. And I don’t like being misquoted.”

 

“You’re possibly one of the most frustrating people on the planet. I’m trying to ask you if you ever wanted to get married.”

 

“No.”

 

Ruby blinks and nods. “Well, there’s that then.”

 

“Unless you want to. Not everything has to be on my terms, Ruby. That’s not how relationships work. You didn’t want kids, you knew I did, we had Effy. Just because I’m adverse to getting married again doesn’t mean it’s off the table.”

 

Regina doesn’t like to talk about her marriage; mass murders and recounts of loves and family who were no longer with her were up for grabs – even the death of her husband could be discussed without much prodding, but the years of being his wife had left her with a chapter she didn’t care to re-read, let alone out loud.

 

“Sometimes I just feel like we should do something to… I don’t know.”

 

“Validate our relationship? Beyond that of breaking the laws of nature to make a magic wolf baby?” Ruby laughs and steals a kiss from her, feeling the weight of the conversation dissipate. “Are you worried about this weekend?”

 

“No. Yes. I don’t know. Aren’t you worried about this at all?”

 

“I have more than enough confidence in your pup-rearing abilities, Ruby. I can’t imagine she won’t be able to control it within the evening – if anything, I think you two will have fun.” Regina leans back over on the couch, hovering close to Ruby’s face before she pulls back unexpectedly, plucking a stray hair from her shirt. “You’re shedding.”

 

“And you think _my_ jokes are getting old?”

 

* * *

 

They have dinner at their house when Henry arrives home, the large extended group of friends and family filling the manor as if it were a one-bedroom apartment. Ruby never tires of these get-togethers, the sounds of voices filling her home and the various smells of her loved ones that will stay in the air for days.

 

Effy clings to Henry like she’ll never see him again and Adam does much of the same, save for the actual physical act, while he follows the older boy around the house. He’s always the center of attention, whether amongst the kids or the adults, though some of his thunder has been stolen by Emma’s news.

 

“Do you think she’s getting tired of them asking about it yet?” Jefferson asks from his spot next to her against the wall of the living room as they watch the scene around them. She has felt a small affinity to the man ever since Emma first brought him around, his quiet demeanor turning out to be a nice break from the loud personalities she has known for two lifetimes.

 

“It’s her own fault for getting knocked up.” Jefferson laughs and reaches up to tug on the paisley print scarf he has wrapped around his neck. “How’s Paige doing?”

 

“She loves the West Coast. We told her the news last night so she wouldn’t feel left out.”

 

Ruby smiles as she watches Mary Margaret dote on Emma, constantly reaching out to press a hand against her still very-flat stomach, despite both Charming and Granny’s insistence that she’s definitely not going to be feeling anything. The blonde manages to make a break from it, weaving through the other people until she’s standing at her husband’s side.

 

“I think I’ve broken Mary Margaret.”

 

Ruby laughs and looks at her best friend once again; the barely restrained tears, the babbling, and the constant smile – Emma isn’t far off. “Caused a short-circuit at the very least.”

 

Regina slips back into the room, one of the two in the room without a glass of something in their hand along with Belle, and meets up with the trio against the wall.

 

“Any more children in here and I think we can file as a daycare center on our taxes.”

 

“Not too long now,” Ruby reminds as her free hand slides up to rest between her shoulder blades. “You left your phone in here, Kathryn called. She says if we don’t go somewhere with a beach _with them_ this time, they’re planning their own getaway.”

 

Ruby’s favourite addition to the house in recent years, one that was her own, is the myriad of pictures now placed around the home, not just of their kids and their growing extended family, but of their time away with their friends. Every few years they went on trips ranging from New York to Paris with different assortments of the people in this room. Their last had been to Santa Barbara with the Charming brood when Paige had moved into her dorm, the only trip Kathryn has missed – the result of a large case at her firm.

 

“Jamaica,” Jefferson suggests.

 

Regina shakes her head. “Monaco.”

 

“I don’t like beaches,” Emma adds.

 

“Nepal.”

 

“Does Nepal have beaches?” Jefferson asks.

 

Ruby shrugs and finishes off her brandy. “It must have at least one.”

 

The night eventually ends, leaving the actual residents of the home in peace. Ruby helps Regina clean up the house, leaving her to the dishes to check on Henry and Effy. When she arrives at the door he’s untangling himself from his sleeping sister, glancing over at Ruby when she arrives and setting down the book he had been reading out loud to Effy.

 

“I’m not leaving this room until I see.”

 

“It’s the necklace.”

 

“I figured.” He leans over the best and undoes the clasp, causing Effy to change the moment the pearl leaves her skin. He lets out a low whistle as a small black pup appears. “Well, she’s pretty.”

 

“Why do you and your mother say that like it makes your sister turning into a canine any better?”

 

Henry shrugs and returns the necklace to Effy’s neck, adjusting the blankets around her when she changes back. “It doesn’t make it _worse_ at any rate. You still haven’t told her?”

 

“There was too much going on today. She already knows it could happen, so hopefully it doesn’t traumatize her.”

 

“It won’t,” he replies as they step out into the hall, closing the door behind him. “The full moon must almost be over though.”

 

“Tomorrow’s the last night. I figure she’ll pass out for a bit after her soccer game and we can go out.” She leans against his doorjamb as he enters his old room, collapsing on the bed. “Homework?”

 

“What are you? My mom?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

Henry laughs and picks up a heavy Physics textbook from the pile he brought with him and she leaves him to study, heading back down the stairs to help Regina finish cleaning up.

 

* * *

 

“Are you excited?” Ruby asks as they head deeper into the forest, Effy’s arms wrapped tightly around her neck as she stares out in mistrust at the darkness surrounding them.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Are you scared?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

Ruby laughs and presses a kiss to her forehead, stopping in a clearing when she hears the not-so-distant sounds of wolves howling. She sets Effy down on the ground and kneels down in front of her, brushing her hair back from her shoulders.

 

“Children of the moon. That’s what my mom called us.”

 

“I didn’t know you had a mom.”

 

Ruby laughs again and takes hold of her hands, running her thumbs over Effy’s knuckles. “Are you ready?” Effy nods. “And you remember everything I told you about turning into the wolf?”

 

With another nod Ruby reaches up to unclasp the necklace, slipping it into her pocket as the black pup appears before her. Effy stares back at her with golden eyes, whimpering at the sounds of the enclosing pack that is coming to greet them until Ruby appears before her in the same form.

 

By the time dawn breaks Ruby is carrying her home through the morning fog, greeted at home by Henry and Regina who demand a full report.

 

* * *

 

During the next full moon she takes Effy out every night and by the end of the week she’s confident that her daughter no longer needs the charm around her neck, though it remains there just in case. She wakes up in the forest curled around Effy, feeling happier than she ever could have imagined. By the time she returns home with a sleeping werewolf in her arms, the day has already begun and Regina has already left for work.

 

She almost misses it when she enters the house but her mind seems to catch up with her before she ascends the staircase, causing her to backtrack into the kitchen. Ruby hugs Effy a little tighter and has to keep herself from either screaming in joy or waking her daughter up to share the news when she sees the empty box that had contained a pregnancy test Regina has left on the counter.


End file.
